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epicspheal · 3 years

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Heya! I hope your doing well!

Ever since swsh gave the rivals something to do after the fact( something that I believe only happened to Blue), I can't help but think of the rivals prior who haven't. What do you think they end up doing? I know that Blue ends up becoming a gym leader, but would still be interesting what you plan for him too! :3

Hi there @ihopethisendswell! So actually, it's the norm typically for the rivals to have something to do, even if it's just continuing being a roaming trainers. Being a roaming trainer is still just as valid of a career path as other routes given the way the Pokemon world works, it's just not as solid of a career path as say gym leader or research assistant. Pokemon Sword and Shield is one of the only main games that really puts emphasis on the rivals' alternate careers paths as part of the plot outside of the gen 5 games. So like you have Blue who becomes gym leader and also helps his grandpa with his research by still be a roaming trainer (much to the frustration of anyone trying to challenge his gym). By the time of Sun and Moon/USUM he has ditched the gym to become battle facility which ultimately given his status as a former champion ends up being a much more fitting role. Granted he needed that time as a gym leader as long standing humbling exercise so it wasn't a bad call at all. Then we have Silver, who remains a roaming trainer, though he kind of mainly sticks around the Dragon's Den because he really wants to avenge that loss to Lance and show how much he has changed. Then we have Brendan/May (when not the protagonist) who end up going back to being full time assistants professor Birch. Wally on the other hand, is much like Silver in that he continue to be a roaming trainer, with him staying around the Battle Resort in ORAS with him eventually going to the Battle Tree by the time the SM/USUM events occur.

Barry also follows the roaming trainer route with him staying Stark Mountain in Diamond/Pearl and with Platinum he hangs around the Survival area.

Gen 5 is where the rival's future goals get the most attention, and was the best well done (SwSh in my opinion failed hard on the rival's goals bar Klara and Avery's). Bianca is still my favorite "how to do a future career path" ending in the entirety of series which is she really doesn't know. She ends up taking up a position as Professor's Juniper's assistant. However it's this linefrom Bianca in Pokemon Black 2/White 2 that I really enjoyed:

"Actually, I'm not sure being a professor's assistant is really what I want to do... But when I do the work, I have lots and lots of fun!" I really appreciated that they allowed Bianca to have doubts that this is her final career path. She's still a child and I can remember when I was her age (God, I sound so old) how many career paths I thought about in that time frame...and only one of those comes even remotely close to what I'm attempting to go back to school for. I liked how she's just trying to things and aiming for experiences while not trying to commit herself to one specific path. Now obviously this could theoretically be true for any number of the rivals as with the exception of Blue (and Wally although for some odd reason they didn't give him an aged up model considering he'd be just as old as Red and Blue are) we don't see them as adults and their ambitions could very well have indeed changed over the years. Then you have Cheren who after that scolding from Alder really begins to question his pursuit of strength and what he really wants to do. Cue 2 years later in BW2 where we see him as the Aspertia City gym leader as well a lecturer at the trainer's school. Fitting as it shows his desire and capabilities as a trainer but also allowing a more concrete goal than just pursuing strength but actually overseeing the future generations. And Hugh, another one of my favorite characters, concludes his story arc on forgiveness (since he had absolutely none for Team Plasma at the beginning of the story) ends up a roaming trainer but also helping the good side Team Plasma in Driftveil City reunite Pokemon that were stolen during the events of Black/White to their original trainers. So he has a goal and really touching one I might add, one of the few that doesn't revolve around battling or researching.

Then there's the XY rivals who were admittedly the most shafted. They all pretty much end up as roaming trainers except for Trevor who already had the aim of completing the Pokedex for Professor Sycamore and he continues to do so.

The no specific aim works the best, in my opinion, for Shauna as she really didn't have much of a goal to begin with outside of travelling/making memories, and much like I said with Bianca, it's okay for characters to not have a specific end game (although I personally see Bianca's route as better as although she isn't quite sure what she wants to do, she does take initiative and actively pursue a goal to gain experience and see if it's for her).

Serena/Calem (again when not the protag) having no set aim also works because they were most competitive of the group and continuing to be a trainer makes sense, but since they get hardly any development it just feels hollow and not satisfying. At least with characters like Wally, Silver and Barry who are roaming they all went through some major development. Lack of major development plus no end game just makes Serena and Calem unfortunately just not stand out.

Then Tierno...poor Tierno. He's my favorite XY character and I hate that screwed over so poorly. He actually a goal but the game doesn't allow us to see how a dance team would work. Kalos really could've benefitted from a Pokemon Contest/Musical like sidequest where Tierno shines in. So him being a roaming trainer is just...meh.

Now moving on to Gen 7 and best boy Hau (Hau's up there with Blue and Leon as one of my favorite Pokemon characters PERIOD). In both Sun and Moon and USUM he's a roaming trainer but I argue that Sun and Moon actually wrapped up his character better, despite USUM giving him much more in the way of development. By that I mean he explicitly mentions to the player that he wants become strong enough to find his father who fled Alola because the pressure of being the Kahuna's son was too much. So yeah he is still just a regular trainer, but he does have an explicit goal that goes beyond just trying to continue to measure up to the player. He also helps to train the reforming Team Skull grunts in the art of Alolan SuMo. In USUM this is erased for a more generic roaming trainer scenario unfortunately. Gladion's fate also changes depending on what version of the Gen 7 games you play. With Sun and Moon he ends up taking over as Aether's president but also still trains on the side as he is one of the challengers that can come for your title in the post game. In Ultra Sun and Moon he actually takes the "I'm going to Kanto" route instead of Lillie although he actually back and is essentially a roaming trainer since Lusamine's villainy was nerfed and therefore allowed to stay as Aether's president

Then there's Trace who ends up champion then loses it, but keeps on going in this endless circle of trying to reclaim it from the player. And then finally the Gen 8 rivals where we have Bede, Marnie, Klara and Avery all become gym leaders and Hop is a professor. Despite this cast having the most focus on their future paths since the gen 5 rivals I don't think they were done that well. Like Klara and Avery's worked, really well and they're probably the only rivals bar Trace and Blue who actually their goals (with them actually maintaining there dream status because their goal didn't involve becoming champion).

I've talked about Hop's on this post before but the lack of genuine foreshadowing just made his sudden declaration of wanting to be a Pokemon Professor just come out of nowhere. And honestly considering the fact that he had just come out of a depressive stage and still hadn't quite addressed his idolization issues I think he would've been served better with the Bianca route where yes he becomes Sonia's assistant, but it's clear that he's still trying to find his new path and that he's just open to trying out research rather than making a rather bold claim that this was his new career path. Either that or do better in the foreshadowing where he shows he has a much clearer interest in academia but feels like he needs to be a champion like his brother.

Then there's Marnie who I've also stated was kind of screwed over. Because she made it rather clear to Piers she didn't want to be gym leader (which makes sense given that she saw how that position screwed over older brother that she admires). She's pretty much doing this because she still has the motivation to save her hometown which is extremely admirable and mature. But also it's sad, like if she didn't have to do this, would she honestly still be gym leader. I think not, at least not immediately. Considering that gym challengers can still compete on the big stage with the champion's cup rematches and some even can be invited to the Galarian Stars Tournament, I think if I had of written that I would've focused on how with Leon as the head of MC he's going to actually work with Spikemuth to revitalize without shouldering the responsibility on one single person, especially a minor. And let her be a roaming trainer and live for herself and not continue to be Spikemuth's martyr.

Then there's Bede who quite vocally states when crashing the Champion's Cup that he was ready to retire. Like poor boy goes from being used as Rose's wishing star collector and fall boy to Opal's reirement plan. Like yes it's great that Opal actually remembers his name and gives him a support system and teaches him some discipline. But still it's kind of sad as he was very much okay with retiring but more or less gets goaded into staying because of the stadium audience.

So this post got way longer than I what it was going to be but hey that happens. But yeah too long don't read, all of the rivals do have a goal, even if a lot of them end up as roaming trainers. If I'm honest in most cases (bar the gen 6 rivals because they lacked developent) the roaming trainer thing works. Because they're kids and they still have their whole lives ahead of them and they don't need to have concrete job just yet. Especially because in some cases the concrete plan just doesn't always fit the character. It works best when it feels like an organic part of the story and not just trying to wrap things up for the sake of wrapping things up.

Finally, to answer your question about how I deal with Blue. Well in my Pokeverse (dubbed cactusverse in case you see me refer to my AU as this), I tend to be fairly canon compliant to the games. So after he loses his champion title to Red he becomes Viridian gym leader, slightly patches things up with grandfather by helping with the research and eventuallya head of the Battle Tree as an adult once he gains the Battle Legend Status (which is an actual legitimate title in cactusverse held currently only by him, Red and Leaf, although one of my OCs gets this designation as well). So nothing that really deviates from canon except for some offscreen events. Basically the battle legend status is bestowed if a major event happens that is taken care of by an already established powerful trainer. So there's a rather major plot thing the Kanto Trio gets involved in that once they take care of gives them their status.

Also for cactusverse there's the whole issue of the Viridian City gym. So it eventually it gets passed down to Trace as Blue has shown that he's become a bit too powerful to be a gym leader. He was honestly when he first got it probably still a bit overkill for an 8th gym leader, but he also really needed an attitude adjustment. And with Lance being a far better father figure to him than Oak could ever dream of, with the help of Agatha tried to rein in his egotistical and self important ways by giving him the position. Which worked very well. Still in cactusverse there's rules on the win percentage a gym can have and that's determined by position. Win too many for your rank and you get moved, vice versa if you lose too many, and sometimes you might even lose your position. The first and last gym leaders are always the most at risk of losing their status. This actually happens to Wallace, Iris and eventually Raihan because they just end up exceeding the strength of most challengers who try to challenge them. Hence why all three of them end up champions at some point cactusverse (Raihan does not become Galar's champion, but Johto's champion since I really like the idea of him spreading his wings beyong Galar).

Blue between the time of BW2 and SM had ended up getting to a point that no one had gotten a gym badge off of him in a couple of years which is unacceptable by league standards and he would've gotten booted out sooner had Lance not personally asked my OC Terra to come kick his butt and get a badge off of him. And cue possibly the most iconic and brutal gym battles to have ever gone down in a region of outside of Galar because two heartbroken champion tier trainers, who broke each other's heart is a recipe for a frightening battle. Lance happened to referree that match and might be a little traumatized. Terra won and he was able to give out his last badge before Red came back from his latest global trip and said let's go to Alola.

#rival blue #rival marnie #rival hop #rival bede #rival silver #rival wally #rival barry #rival bianca #rival cheren #rival hugh #rival hau #rival gladion #ask epic spheal #rival klara #rival avery #rival trace

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atsumuw · 3 years

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no one really asked for this, but here is an atsuhina fic rec list composed of 15 of my absolute favorites (i have more, but i think 15 is good for now lol)

1. “you, me, and the sweet sun” by caniculeo - i think this is perhaps my favorite atsuhina fic ever. plus it is one of the only fanfics that has actually made me cry. the perfect mixture of angst and fluff, with some elements of magic. atsumu miya wakes up one day and finds his sunflower has finally blossomed. what is more shocking is the naked stranger kneeling by his bed.

2. “timmy play your trumpet (let the people go beserk)” by farozaan - if you want something funny, this is the fanfic for you. the MSBY quartet live together, hinata being the newest addition, and chaos ensues. atsumu is not quite sure how to deal with his crush on hinata, sakusa is exasperated certain people do not know how to follow the house rules, and bokuto is just in for the ride.

3. “and they were roomates!” by boomturkey - an absolute classic in the atsuhina fandom and the quarantine fanfic we have all been waiting for. japan is put under lockdown due to covid, leaving hinata worried about where he will be living for the time being. atsumu graciously invites hinata to stay with him in his house with a yard and home gym, despite previously claiming he hates living with other people.

4. “murphy’s law abiding citizen” by whatthehelena - i cherish msby fanfics and this one holds a special place in my heart because it is all sakusa's pov. this one is incredibly funny as well. watch as sakusa suffers at the hands of his wild card roommates.

5. "the better miya twin" by infanbtblue - this one is very funny and super sweet. no one seems to believe that atsumu confessed to hinata after losing to him at nationals. promising to set for him in the future is basically a marriage proposal (it's a setter thing). the rest of the inarizaki volleyball team doesn't seem to think so. or, atsumu is annoyed everyone seems to favor his twin. he just hopes hinata doesn't think the same.

6. "like a dream that you can't quite place" by slumber - a "Your Name" atsuhina fanfic adaption! atsumu wakes up one day in the body of a stranger.

7. "moving in slow motion" by simplerushes - i am usually not a big fan of getting back together fanfics, but this one is so well written with the perfect level of hurt and comfort. atsumu gets a call from one hinata shouyou, asking him if he can pick him up from the airport. atsumu of course says yes. oh by the way, they have been broken up for about a year now.

8. "king of disaster" by caniculeo - college au. hinata and atsumu develop a rivalry after one atsumu miya decides to call him small and hinata out does him in one-handed push-ups. i love this fanfic so much, i am a sucker for enemies to lovers and this one is so well written and just a lot of fun to read.

9. "why would you even stream live while you're drunk" by BowDownToAtsumuPeasants - oh god, if you want to laugh your ass off please do yourself a favor and read this fanfic. after his plans of scoring a date with hinata are ruined by one oikawa tooru, atsumu gets drunk. and what better thing to do when drunk than go live to your thousands of followers. nothing bad can happen, right?

10. "only fools rush in" by mirabilis - i think one of my favorite things about the haikyuu timeskips is the way social media is used in fanfics in order to further the narrative. this fanfic does it beautifully and has my perfect amount of pining.

11. "sky full of song" simplerushes - atsumu comes down with a fever and decides he is going to marry the hell out of hinata. atsumu spends the rest of this fanfic attempting to propose. it's really endearing.

12. “in gold daylight” by lavendori - an atsumu miya character study where he learns how to be the happiest twin alone.

13. "ampersand" by infantblue - i debated putting this one here ONLY because i feel like everyone who ships atsuhina has probably read this fanfic before. oh to erase my memory and read it for the first time again. the angst is amazing.

14. “happiness” by noyabeans - although atsuhina is not the main focus of this fic, i have the need to recommend this one because of how amazing the characterization is. this is such a good post-time skip fic that focuses on atsumu and osamu’s relationship as they grow apart from one another.

15. “wait for it, wait for it” by slumber - i lovee outsider pov fics and this one is great. written from the perspective of MSBY’s new junior publicist, misaki hana, here are 5 times where #atsuhina trended on twitter and one time it didn’t but should have.

bonus - if you’re an atsuhina fan and have not read boomturkey’s inarizaki!hinata series, please do yourself a favor and read it!! it is very long and just so much fun to read. the characterization is so on point, and if you were disappointed inarizaki did not get screen time outside the volleyball match, this is the series for you. the characters are so much more fleshed out.

#atsuhina #fic rec #haikyuu!!#i still have more but maybe i'll post that another day lmao #if anything just check out the authors bc a lot of them have other amazing fics

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thatcartoonnetworkblog · 3 years

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Cartoon Network Hotel Review

WHAT TIME IS IT????

If you don’t find yourself screaming this when you get here, even just in your head, then you’re in the wrong place.

But after a nice drive through Amish Country, the Cartoon Network Hotel is nice and visible right outside of Dutch Wonderland. Coming in, you see images of some of your favorite characters, right before Finn and Jake welcome you at the front.

Granted, it looks like I came off season- with fall and school just starting, Dutch Wonderland is only open on the weekends, and the hotel wasn’t exactly packed from what I can see. Which made for a good time for the indoor pool to be under renovation, so I sadly didn’t get to check that out. But hey, the outdoor pool was running just fine, although it was mostly empty, just myself and a family.

I didn’t take any pictures of the pool, since I didn’t have my phone (but a couple of Ice King’s penguins are playing life guard duty, alongside a pretty cute girl), but I did snap a photo of the Powerpuff sprinklers! They look pretty cool, right?

But that’s jumping ahead. Anyway, as mentioned, today it didn’t seem so busy, so despite arriving a couple of hours before 4 PM check-in, I was able to get a room right away. It must have been busy enough that I didn’t get the Gumball room I asked for, but instead I got my second choice, Steven Universe.

But I mean, look at this. I can’t complain. I was just thinking that I wanted the SU room instead, anyway.

The rooms are themed to one of six shows/franchises, the other four being Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Adventure Time and We Bare Bears. The former two seem to be primarily inspired by their recent series however, not their classics, so your mileage will vary there. I asked a receptionist which show tends to be the most popular choice, and she says that it rotates. Apparently PPG does get picked often by those who grew up with it, which makes sense, although those aren’t my Powerpuff Girls.

So, some things of note- there are four exclusive channels to the Hotel. Gumball and Teen Titans Go get their own 24/7 channels, which seems redundant since they’re basically all CN shows anyway. But they also have a FanFavs channel, which shows various episodes from various series, and New Shows, which I’m not sure if it shows currently unaired episodes or not. I couldn’t get that one active for long, but I did see part of a Victor & Valentino episode. I did have FanFavs on a bit as background noise, and they seem to mostly show:

Adventure Time

Regular Show

Steven Universe

Ben 10 (2016)

Mao Mao

Thundercats Roar (seriously...)

It seems like they mostly rotate from those shows, but I’d like to believe there’s more. Griz is on the cover bar for it when you connect to wifi, and you’d think they’d also show at least the 2016 PPG show as well, as that’s all over the resort.

They also do showings of cartoons in the kitchen at 3 and 9 PM, as the kitchen is closed during those times. My flight was very early, so I missed the 9 showing, as well as the Summer Camp Island-inspired bonfire that happened before, but I caught the 3 o’clock cartoons. They played episodes of Craig of the Creek, Total Dramarama, Teen Titans Go, and Gumball. Pretty cool, although these are basically the only four shows the channel plays anyway, The intro they use for the screenings shows clips from classic Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and Scooby-Doo cartoons, but none of those were shown today. Maybe they’ll throw one in at another time? Probably not Scooby... or maybe just a movie, since they apparently play movies as well sometimes.

I didn’t stick around for most of the TDR cartoon though, as I was participating in the Craig of the Creek scavenger hunt. They hunt various CN characters around the lobby vicinity, and you try to find them in the right spot.

This is what you get if you win- a COTC pin and a Hershey bar. But hey, you can’t argue with results, and this is about it for Craig merch.

The gift shop almost exclusively focuses on the six shows with featured rooms, and a lot of merch isn’t exclusive. I did get a couple of things though.

The beach towel is based on the designs you see all over the hotel and has a couple of series not otherwise represented in terms of merch, like OK KO, Summer Camp Island, and the aforementioned COTC. Oh, and Clarence! Almost missed him in the bottom.

I got the stickers because there are more COTC characters, and again, the designs are nice. The SU pin was cool, and if there was a similar one for AT or Gumball, I would have got that as well. And I got the Anais keychain because Gumball merch is strangely rare despite its popularity, especially for her. There were also some pencils, notebooks, a couple of T-shirts and a hoodie. I almost got some pencils.

There’s also an arcade and an activity center, but those do seem mostly for kids, plus you have to pay for most of the crafts. I think the coloring is free at least, and there are a couple of nods to classic shows I found that I’ll share on another post.

Just as there are some nods to classics around the place, primarily the elevator and kitchen, but the people who want to see Dexter and Johnny and the Eds aren’t the target audience for this resort. Which is unfortunate, but the thing is, besides the fact that we’re getting old and today’s kids need their own shows, Cartoon Network has become a big deal internationally over the past decade, moreso than during their supposed heyday in the late 90′s-early 00′s. The six shows featured aren’t just picked for being the most popular, they’re all big draws overseas. We Bare Bears sells a LOT of merch in Asia and parts of Europe, even if it doesn’t seem that big of a draw stateside. Hopefully they can make this a tourist spot.

That said, I do hope that they consistently update things in the years to come. Part of the problem with the Nickelodeon Hotel over in Orlando was how stuck it was in the mid-2000′s. Sure, SpongeBob has remained a big draw over the years since, but when I visited the place around 2010 (didn’t stay, but took a tour), it was apparent that if your kids weren’t big fans of Rugrats or Jimmy Neutron, and they probably weren’t around that place until its last days, there wasn’t much reason to stay over.

I do think that Craig deserves his own themed room, and it may be time to swap out Powerpuff for it. Let’s admit that the 2016 reboot was a failure and move on. Or maybe just double down and replace the reboot designs with their classic look.

But hey, my final thoughts on the Cartoon Network Hotel? I had a lot of fun, and got the best sleep I had in ages. I’m not sure if I’d go again, though. At least unless it changes things up a little. Part of the thing is that this is really for the kids who love today’s new shows. And I do really love three of the six shows heavily featured here- four if you count the original Powerpuff. But I’m just not the right age for this place.

If you love any of these shows and/or Cartoon Network’s brand as a whole, I recommend checking this place out, but only if you’re near the area. Don’t make it a pilgrimage. Unless you have enough friends to make grouping up on the Steven Universe Dream Suite worth it.

That said, look at these Bear macrons. So damn cute, and tasty, too!

#my ramblings #cartoon network #cartoon network hotel

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beneaththetangles · 3 years

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Reader’s Corner: The Girl Without a Face, In the Land of Leadale, and Rascal Does Not Dream

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 3, Vol. 4

The newest volume in Miya Kazuki’s Ascendance of a Bookworm series dropped yesterday, and there’s a lot to take in this time around—from printing presses to prancing trees to turbulent politics. As the archduke’s daughter, Rozemyne is finally able to make use the printing press she had made many volumes ago, and with a visit to Illgner on the horizon, the bookworm’s horizons shine brightly. But there are dark clouds looming in the distance. And while I don’t want to spoil any details about the particulars of the book, I will say that I did not expect the stakes to rise so quickly. Still, Kazuki’s talent for illuminating the little things continues to shine. I loved the interactions between Rozemyne and Ferdinand, and I appreciated the trace details about magic; I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of both of those things in Part 4. In any case, expect to rejoice with Rozemyne as her inventions continue to prosper, and to be dragged along with her friends as she ascends to greater heights. ~ sleepminusminus

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 3 Vol. 4 is published by J-Novel Club.

In the Land of Leadale, Vol. 2

I felt the first volume of this isekai’d-to-a-world-based-on-a-game story was somewhat underwhelming, but I’m glad I still tried volume two because it was a lot of fun. The highlight of the story is still protagonist Cayna’s family interactions. Back when this world was a game she played on Earth, Cayna had been able to designate certain NPCs as children or other relatives. Mentally and emotionally, Cayna is still an inexperienced seventeen-year-old, but now’s she a centuries-old elf with (so far) real children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (plus a niece). Her struggles to adapt to this reality are entertaining, as are her progeny’s efforts to keep up with their eccentric, overpowered matriarch. Another highlight of this volume is learning that Cayna isn’t the only isekai’d person in this world—there are others (including one from a world other than Earth!). I found this volume a striking improvement on its predecessor, and happily recommend it. I’m eager to see where this lighthearted adventure goes next. ~ JeskaiAngel

In the Land of Leadale (Vol. 2) is published by Yen Press, who provided a review copy.

The Girl Without a Face

This one-shot manga centers on a guy and his noppera-bou girlfriend, a youkai that looks like a human girl, except, well, without a face. The manga is basically just slice-of-life snippets of their days together. It’s 100% fluff, with no real deeper themes or major drama, just the two of them trying to find ways to show their love for each other when one of them can’t use words or facial expressions to do so. Surprisingly enough, despite how the two live together and spend basically half the book clinging to each other, the manga is completely chaste, with nothing even resembling fanservice or a sexual relationship. It’s just a lot of cuddling, hand-holding, some kisses, and a whole lot of diabetes-inducing sweetness. Look elsewhere if you want something actually serious, but sometimes you just want to indulge in some pure cuteness, and in this regard, this manga is sure to put a smile on your face. ~ stardf29

The Girl Without a Face is available from Yen Press, who provided a review copy.

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Senpai (Rascal Does Not Dream Vol. 1)

Since *ahem* someone got distracted and kind of didn’t finished reading in time to contribute to the recent LNC discussion of this volume, I figured maybe I could belatedly say something here. If I had to summarize this volume, I’d say it’s The X-Files + Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki: half paranormal mystery and half high school romcom, with a dash of sociology (especially as a related to the dynamics of a Japanese high school classroom). The real highlight of the volume is the banter between the leads, Sakuta and Mai; they have distinct voices and make great foils for each other. As an added bonus, I felt the light novel explained a few points more clearly than the anime adaptation did. The story also has some truly excellent messages, which I’ve highlighted before. Notwithstanding my lamentable failure to finish this volume in time for the Light Novel Club, I quite enjoyed it and intend to continue with the series. ~ JeskaiAngel

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (Rascal Does Not Dream vol. 1) is published by Yen Press.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse, Vol. 1

One of many alternate universe takes on the Evangelion characters, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse opens with Shinji seeing two classmates from NERV Academy (Kaworu Nagisa and Rei Ayanami) chasing after some form of monster in the night. The first volume then follows Shinji as he learns from Kaworu about the creatures known as angels who take on human form by possessing corpses. The angels in this AU are, in effect, vampires. Long story short—Shinji basically joins them to become a vampire hunter with the “Eva” being an internalized weapon that he can summon at will to defend himself against the vampires: Shinji Ikari, Vampire Hunter. I’m sure there’s more depth coming in later chapters, but that’s the vibe I get from volume 1. Honestly, it’s not bad. ~ MDMRN

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse, Vol. 1 was published by Dark Horse Comics, but is currently out of print.

My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected, Vol. 3 (manga)

What’s most notable as I make my way through the manga adaptation of my favorite light novel and anime series is that the early parts of the story—in all three platforms—march toward a distinctly different direction than where it ultimately ends. The appearance of a typical love story is heavy early on, and is presented particularly well in the manga format. Naomichi Io, the mangaka behind “Comigairu,” finds his strength in adapting and sometimes creating new scenarios that focus on romance and humor. His close-ups of the characters, particularly Yukino and Yui, are stunning—if Hikki’s defenses remain strong against the girls, readers won’t be able to prevent themselves from falling in love. And this particular volume is full of panels highlighting the girls as it focuses on the romcom aspects of the series, rarely falling too far down into Hikki-talk and instead, following him through a quandary that upsets his relationship with Yui and allows him to become more intimate with Yukino. Volume three is a transitionary part of the story, but a lovely one, regardless, both for fans of Oregairu and those who simply love a good romantic comedy.

My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected, Vol. 3 is published by Yen Press, which provided a review copy.

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a-duck-with-a-book · 3 years

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REVIEW // Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1) by Jay Kristoff

★☆☆☆☆

So I’m very late to the party, but I just finished reading Nevernight by Jay Kristoff I had such high hopes for this series based off of what people recommending it had told me and what I read about it before picking up. Dark fantasy? Check. Strong leading lady? I’m here for it. Gays? It’s literally my only personality trait. Sign me up. Unfortunately, this book fell flat in all those categories. It reminded me a lot of Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass, which made me take one point off of to begin with simply for making me think of Maas’s writing. Overall, I just found the book to be too predictable, with bad writing, exposition, and pacing, and too many parts that just made me ~uncomfortable~.

In case you are not familiar with this novel, Nevernight tells the story of Mia Corvere, a girl who lost her family when she was a child after her father was convicted of treason. When the book begins, she is 16 years old and embarking on a journey to join the Red Church, a school for assassins, so that she may one day be able to avenge her father’s death. Along the way she meets a bunch of forgettable characters whose names I can’t be bothered to remember and is taught by the most fearsome killers in the Republic. Here she gains many valuable skills, like how to survive being poisoned, how to fight, and how to get big boobs.

+ Side note: by chapter 3 three I started picturing Mia as the crow guy from RWBY and I could not shake that for the rest of the book

I had many issues with this novel that I will try to summarize in some sort of coherent fashion, but to be honest this book sucked the will to live out of me so I don’t know how much energy I can put into this review.

// image: official cover art by Jason Chan //

FOOTNOTES

The footnotes were probably the most jarring element of the book for me, and, unfortunately, there’s a lot of them. Their function seems to be twofold:

they are the form of most of the world-building, explaining several customs, the history of the institutions and peoples Mia meets, and the mythology followed by the people of the Republic.

they allow for the narrator of our story to interrupt with comical one-liners or cryptic foreshadowing

In my humble opinion, both of these are unnecessary and stupid. The interruptions come off as crass and immature and make the other more textbook, boring exposition come off as a joke, especially when it is dealing with sensitive or serious topics. There is one that explains this brothel called the Seven Flavors, which the footnote explains refer to “Boy, Girl, Man, Woman, Pig, Horse, and, if sufficient notice and coin was given, Corpse.�� Now, on its own, this passing mention of pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia could very well contribute to the world building and tone of the novel, but when placed side by side with the childish, joking tone of the “cue the violiiiiiiiins” or, regarding the acoustics of a room, “…they were, as it happens, exceptional. Falalalalalalaaaaaaaa”, come off as way too light-hearted for the topic at hand. Maybe I’m being way too sensitive, but I’m pretty tired of authors using serious topics as off-hand remarks as a lazy way to make their world daker and grittier. Plus, these footnotes were just so incredibly cringy that I would recoil from second-hand embarrassment every time. They resemble the things I wrote when I was 14 and trying (and miserably failing) to be funny. Also… there are way too many of them. While at first I appreciated the attempt to deepen the lore of the story (I’m a sucker for world-building), after a while it became evident that the author was just forcing information down our throats without taking the time to actually weave the lore and background into the story itself. It came off as a very lazy way to force exposition.

OVERLY FLOWERY LANGUAGE

This story is BRIMMING with similes and metaphors, like every other sentence is some overly complicated way to describe something that could have been presented in three words. When you include so many metaphors/similes/etc., they begin to lose power. They should allow the reader to extrapolate more meaning and emotion from a sentence, but if the book is bursting at the seams with them, they become increasingly ordinary, to the point of losing all of their luster. One prime example appears on page 30:

“It was a bucktoothed little shithole, and no mistake. Not the most miserable building in all creation. [here there is a footnote about some other inn/brothel] But if the inn were a man and you stumbled into him in a bar, you’d be forgiven for assuming he had—after agreeing enthusiastically to his wife’s request to bring another woman into their marriage bed—discovered his bride making up a pallet for him in the guest room.”

So first of all what the fuck is that supposed to mean? That whole paragraph is a fever dream. Let’s begin with “bucktoothed little shithole”. Bucktoothed? Really? What does that mean. Please, someone explain to be right now what a bucktoothed building is. Is it uneven? Is it awkward? Is it half-finished? Is one side longer than the other? Did they do a bad paint job that only covers on side? Are the windows askew? Is the door too big for its frame? We already know from the paragraph above that it is “disheveled” as well, so why the need for another weird phrasing of its appearance? We then move on to that whole JOURNEY of a sentence, where the inn is compared to a man being cuckolded. That is the most insane tale-can you imagine running into someone in a bar and that story being the VERY FIRST thing that runs through your mind??? I know I’m focusing way too much on this stupid paragraph, but basically what I am trying to get at is that even though we spend half a page talking about how bucktoothed and disheveled and cuckolded this building is, we get no actual physical description of it. Imagine if Kristoff had just written that it was a run-down, ill-kept building that looked as worse for wear as its owner did. Done, one sentence. Great. Let’s move on. Instead, we spend so long reading these absolutely batshit descriptions that ultimately tell us next to nothing. Flowery language is placed over actual context. You may think that a description this long and complex means that this inn is a significant or recurring setting in the novel. Nope. It’s not. Mia leaves and that’s that. The reason that I’m focusing so much on this objectively irrelevant paragraph is because it is so representative of the biggest issue I have with the writing in this book. There are so many unnecessary comparisons that function only to make the author feel clever rather than add anything to the story at all. It’s very à la 2010s Tumblr.

THE (IN MY OPINION, BAD) WRITING

For the first half of the book, we are constantly being TOLD things rather than being SHOWN things. With the exception of one of the teachers cutting off Mia’s arm, we rarely see the ruthlessness that the assassins are so feared for, but we hear about it in nearly every other sentence Where are the consequences? I think this book would have been way more enjoyable if there were actually consequences to the characters’ actions. The inclusion of the weaver and the weird vampire guy completely remove any tension regarding the fate of the central cast. When Mia had her arm chopped off, I was shocked, and pleasantly surprised. How was she going to overcome this unexpected obstacle in her training? Then a couple pages later, its reattached with absolutely no lasting consequences. All of the initial tension and shock value of the loss of Mia’s arm is entirely removed because of the two incest-y siblings. Their entire purpose for existing is just to undo all damage to the main characters. Then suddenly, out of the blue, Mia is willing to take on a ton of consequences and completely throw away her chance at becoming initiated in order to avenge her family just to save Tric from receiving like one punishment??? Like why?? As an aside, the only moment I truly enjoyed was when Ash fucking stabbed Tric to death. I assume that when the reader’s favorite moment is one of the central characters’ death, it does not bode well for their reception of the book.

THE THEMES

TW: rape-y subjects

The author seemed a little too keen to include rape and sexual assault in his story. Mia withdrew her consent in the sex scene in the very first chapter, and even if you read it as consensual (which I do not), it is described as incredibly unpleasant on her end. Tric is the result of a rape, which is brought up several times throughout the story. Further, Mia is constantly facing harassment from men. I understand that this is frames the idea that the world she lives in is misogynistic and ruthless, but there are other ways to push that idea through other than constantly putting in her in those situations. As in, this didn’t need to be the ONLY way we explored this subject. Beyond the uncomfortable propensity for sexual assault, I also very much disliked the sexualization of the 16-year-old main character. Oh. My. Gosh. Mia is CONSTANTLY sexualized. Every single damn character makes comments about her body, how hot she is, how much sex she potentially has. It is so weird and uncomfortable. I feel the need to reiterate that she is SIXTEEN. There is, however, a focus placed on the power Mia can gain from seducing her targets. Girl power? Not to me, really. The issue I have with this is the idea that a woman has to be overtly sexual in order to be considered powerful. This is something that we can see in many female assassins and supposedly powerful female characters in fiction (like Black Widow) especially those written by men. Now, there is nothing wrong with using one’s sexuality as a weapon, and I’m certainly not saying that a strong female character cannot be sexual, but the idea that a sixteen-year-old girl is shown having her body painfully modified tp be more desirable, and in a graphic sex scene with another character, in order to for the reader to read her as liberated and powerful does not sit well with me. I don’t really feel like this aspect of her training should be relevant to the overall story. I wish the time that Kristoff had dedicated to hammering into our heads that Mia is a femme fatale to developing her Darkin powers instead. The way she is written now feels more like she is a faux strong female character written for a male audience.

Secondly, Mia is fully written as “the plain-girl-who-is-actually-pretty”. This whole trope bothers me IMMENSELY. YA is full of girls who are described as plain, forgettable, or ugly while their physical descriptions are just the dictionary definition of conventionally attractive. It seems like a way to market off of girls’ self-consciousness while still being able to market the main character as a hot heroine in official art. And there is, of course, the issue of Mia’s boob job Readwithcindy (just “withcindy” now!) did a whole video about this so I won’t get into it much just to repeat what she already said, but I agree that the idea of a 30-something year old man including this completely unnecessary detail regarding the sexualization of teenage girl, who we have ALREADY seen in a rape and being sexualized by other men in the story, made me really, really, uncomfortable. I highly recommend you go watch her video, as she touches on this in way more detail. [Cindy's video

RATINGS

Worldbuilding: ★★☆☆☆

A lot of thought obviously went into the world-the mythology, society, and politics are well-thought out. But the way they are introduced is annoying and bland. It seems like the author put a lot of effort into constructing this world but realized a lot of it would be left out of the book, so he crammed it into footnotes instead.

Tone and writing style: ★☆☆☆☆ for first half, ★★★☆☆ for second half

The tone of the first half is all over the place, like it doesn’t know if it should be dark and gritty or comical and immature. Footnotes and character dialogue ranges from lighthearted and crass to seeped with themes of torture and sexual assault. It is jarring, to say the least, and often feels like the author doesn’t take these ideas of rape or violence seriously. There are so many instances where the scene is tense or gritty, and Kristoff is actually writing it pretty well, I’m enthralled and on the edge of my seat, and then Mia or some other character (or the footnotes) throw in some stupid comment or make the same “Mia is such an asshole lol” joke for the billionth time and completely ruin the mood of that scene. The second half of the book moved much faster and was helped with way better writing, but it really did not do enough to make up for the horrendous structure of the first half of the book.

Pacing and structure: ★☆☆☆☆

The first half of the book really drags on. Once we arrive at the school, there are constant jumps in timeline, marked with periods when a thousand things happen all at once and the plot moves forward at a dizzying rate, and others when the characters just seem to be going about their daily lessons.

Concept: ★★★☆☆

I found the overall idea of the books to be very interesting, even though it is certainly not the most original or unique concept for a YA fantasy book. The issue is that the potential is squandered with a poor execution.

Characters: ★☆☆☆☆

I truly did not care about any of the characters. The token mean girl, the bumbling nice-guy-who-is-definitely-the-love-interest. too many of the characters just sat nicely within their tropes, doing nothing much to pique my interests. I think my favorite overall was Mister Kindly.

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thewritewolf · 3 years

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Interview with an Author Tag!

This game was originally posted by @goldenavenger02 and I was tagged (a, uh, a while ago, sorry about that 😅) by @mikauzoran. Thanks!

1. Your favorite fic that you’ve written (or just one you want to give a shout out to).

Oh wow, what to recommend? I’ll limit myself to just three since I’ve got 49 to choose from.

True Sight: Secrets of the Miraculous was my first fic and also my most ambitious one. The early chapters are rough but I get my feet under me after... three or four chapters, I want to say? And after that, I have my favorite Chloe redemption ever, plenty of character development and natural expanding of the core team (remember, I starting writing this when Rena Rouge was new).

Rekindle was my first fic to get any kind of real attention and honestly, its for good reason. Its an aged up Marichat fic with plenty of fluff, moments of angst, and a generally good time all around. Plus there is art of it! Which I embedded into it!

Four Times (and the Lucky One) is a short, focused story which is very cute - its about Adrien trying to ask Marinette out but having awful luck with it. Two things are notable with it. First, it launched a whole series of fics in the same timeline that have been a joy to write. And second, it was inspired by art from @ohsweetsweetie who I eventually became friends with way after I wrote it!

2. Your favorite fic title that you’ve come up with.

Running to Catch An Airplane Trope has my heart - it always makes me chuckle and honestly everything you need to know is said by the title alone!

3. How do you get inspiration to write?

In terms of actually making myself write, I’ve got playlists for characters, then there are MyNoise generators that help me get into the mood for writing.

When it comes to ideas, nothing gets the imagination going more than watching the show and seeing the characters interact! My imagination tends to go wild anyway, especially when I’m not doing anything but watching.

4. Your favorite genre/subgenre of fic to write.

Oh that’s easy - Fluff. Every single fic I’ve written either was primarily fluff or had plenty of fluff in it. And absolutely every fic had a happy ending. Be the force you want to see in the world, right?

5. Do you have other hobbies?

Well, besides writing fanfiction, I write a bunch of original stuff, including an entirely original world. Which I use sometimes for a D&D setting. Beyond that, I used to paint miniatures a lot but now that my friends are scattered all over, that sort of fell by the wayside.

Outside of creative pursuits, I play video games and watch youtubers like Game Grumps and Markiplier.

6. A fun fact about you that a lot of people may not know.

I’m caught between my abilities as a cat whisperer, where almost every cat I’ve ever encountered, excluding feral ones, will be my friend immediately and let me pick them up, or my degree in history/political science. Both of these facts are important to me 🤔

7. Pick one character to self project onto, go!

Adrien Agreste, naturally. I see a much younger me in him and I hope he has a better time of it than I did. 😫

8. Favorite genre of music.

Heavy mithril, folk rock... things like that. Although I listen to music of all kinds, so its hard to pick a particular genre

9. Your favorite singer/band.

I’d say its split pretty evenly between either Hozier or Sabaton 🤔

10. And finally, how has your experience in fandom been?

Pretty good, honestly. Well, in ML at least which is the only fandom I’ve been a active member of. Excluding salters its been an absolute dream - sharing ideas, meeting friends, writing and reading fics... and just being lost in the sauce of loving these characters. Its been a great time.

I think many of my writing friends have been tagged already so... I tag everyone who wants to do this! Go forth, be free!

#things I'm tagged in #tag game

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harringtonstilinski · 4 years

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You’ll Always Be My Hero - Chapter 3 ; Pack Mentality

Author: @harringtonstilinski Characters: Stiles Stilinski x Emma Thomas (OC) Word Count: 7,009 Warnings: oh boy. here we go ; cuteness, mentions of blood, small mention of alcohol, fluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuff but i guess it also counts as cuteness but oh well, talks of divorce, little bit of angst, Harris ‘cause ya’know... also Jackson, A/N: Hi, friends! Chapter 3 is among us. Still can’t believe it, haha. Anyway, I just wanted to say that with the talks of divorce, it’s what happened to me personally (I was like 14, so it doesn’t really bother me all that much. I’m an open book.) I apologize in advance if it triggers you in any way. I think the cuteness with Stiles and Emma will make up for it. I hope y’all like the first two chapters so far, and I hope y’all like this one as well. As always, read at your own risk and enjoy 😊

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From the moment I opened my eyes, I had a feeling today was going to be a good day. The dream I'd had put the biggest smile on my face, and I couldn't tell you why. I got up out of bed and went straight to the bathroom to take a quick body shower. I had washed my hair the day before, so I didn't need to today.

Going back to my room, I quickly got dressed. My outfit for the day consisted of my favorite pair black of jeans that I could roll up my calf, pairing them with a simple white v-neck t-shirt that didn't show too much cleavage, a blue denim jacket, and my black and white Converse. I wore these shoes all time, simply because they're my favorite and basically went with everything… plus, they were comfy.

I decided that I would straighten my hair since I hadn't in quite some time. I was listening to some music when I heard a knock on my bedroom door and told the person they could enter, but stayed focused on my hair, careful not to burn myself. Looking into the mirror behind me, I watched as Stiles walked in and sat on my bed before I reached over and turned my music down, just in case he was going to start rambling about something.

When he didn't, I put my straightener down and turned slightly in my chair. I looked at him, but he was looking down. “Can I help you?”

He looked up at me and shook his head and with a frown and raised eyebrows. “No. Just waiting for you to get done so we can leave.”

I smiled and nodded a little, turning back in my chair to start on the little makeup I had planned.

“You should do one of those eyeliner looks you sported last year. Ya'know, with the wings,” Stiles suggested. “I think it makes your eyes look extra blue.”

I looked at him in my mirror and smiled. “What an excellent suggestion, Stiles Stilinski.”

I grabbed what products I would need for this, which was a little bit more than I was wearing nowadays. This makeup look took me a total of about 15 minutes to complete. I was shocked that I didn't have to take all my makeup off and start again like I used to. I was late so many times because of that last year. It was a nightmare.

I got up from my vanity and walked over to my dresser where I kept my accessories stored. “Oh, can you see if I turned my straighter off?”

“Yeah,” he said, getting off the bed. When he clicked my straighter off, I turned my head over my shoulder and said my thanks.

Turning back to my accessories, I sighed. “I can't figure out what to wear today.” As I looked over my options, I felt Stiles come over and stand behind me a little, but didn't pay it any mind. I was used to it. He reached over and grabbed a necklace that I forgot I even had. It was a simple and beautiful silver necklace with my name on it.

Noah had given it to me on my fourteenth birthday, informing me that Claudia had bought it about a month before she passed. She wanted me to have it on my fourteenth birthday, he'd told me. I cried and put it on right away. After everything that happened last year with Lydia, I took the necklace off and didn't think twice about putting it back around my neck. Lydia had told me that it was the ugliest thing I owned. I guess Stiles wanted me to wear it today.

“Wear this one. It's been a while,” he said. He undid the clamp and put it in front of me.

I lifted my hair up out of the way as he re-clamped it. I smiled and ran my fingers over it. “Thanks, Stiles.” I looked over my shoulder at him and smiled.

He gave me a smile back and kissed my temple. Something he’s done since we were kids. I looked back over at my accessories and sighed, looking over my earrings. Simple studs would suffice for today. I put those and a thin silver tennis bracelet on, along with a couple of rings and turned around.

“How do I look?” I asked, gesturing out my arms.

He was looking at his phone with a look on his face that read 'oh, shit.' He looked up and said, “You look fine. We gotta go. Scott said it's an emergency.”

~~~

Stiles drove the both of us to school, like he did every morning since obtaining his license. He parked and we got out of the Jeep, meeting up with Scott at the front of the school.

Opening the door, Stiles asked Scott, “So you killed her?”

Scott apparently had a dream about him and Allison. In this dream, they apparently wanted to be alone, so they went out to the back of the school to where the buses are housed. They got into one and started making out. Scott said that he changed and ended up freaking Allison out.

Scott walked into the school first then me. “I don't know,” he said. “I just woke up. And I was sweating like crazy, and I couldn't breathe. I've never had a dream where I woke up like that before.”

I was in the middle of the two, walking down the hallway, listening. It's what I normally did best.

“Really? I have,” Stiles said. “Usually ends a little differently.”

I sighed and closed my eyes for a second.

“A, I meant I've never had a dream that felt that real,” Scott started.

“I have,” I piped up, looking down and biting my lip. “Love those dreams.” Noticing the boys looking at me, I turned my attention back to Scott. “Second point?”

“And B, never give me that much detail about you two in bed again,” he said to us.

“Noted,” we said.

“Let me take a guess here, though--” Stiles started.

“No, I know,” Scott said. “You think it has something to do with me going out with Allison tomorrow, like I'm gonna lose control and rip her throat out.”

“No, of course not,” Stiles said, looking at Scott before backtracking, “Yeah, that's totally it.”

Scott looked down, a little disappointed that Stiles didn't trust him on this.

“Hey, come on, it's gonna be fine, alright?” I said. “Personally, I think you're handling this pretty freakin' amazingly. You know, it's not like there's a Lycanthrophy For Beginners class you can take.”

“Yeah, not a class, but maybe a teacher,” Scott said.

“Who, Derek?” Stiles and I exclaimed.

Stiles slapped Scott across the back of the head and I laughed. What? Scott needed it. Derek's really scary to me.

“You forgetting the part where we got him tossed in jail?” Stiles said.

“Yeah, I know,” Scott said. “But chasing her, dragging her to the back of the bus, it felt so real.”

“How real?” Stiles quipped.

Scott had a hint of sadness in his voice as he said, “Like it actually happened.”

They opened the doors to the back of the school, the three of us stopping and looking out at the scene in front of us. One of the buses had the back door ripped open, hanging on by one of the hinges, bent with blood on it.

There was blood on the back two windows, blood on the right one to the outside of the door, and a lot on the seats in the back. There was a guy in the bus taking pictures and another outside of the bus taking some kind of sample, though I couldn't really tell. I was too focused on the bloody scene in front of me.

I looked up at Scott in horror. “I think it did.”

We all turned around and walked back into the school, on the hunt for Allison. No pun intended. Ya'know? Cause Scott's a werewolf? Ohhhhhhh, never mind.

“She's probably fine,” Stiles said, trying to calm down a frantic Scott.

“She's not answering my texts, Stiles,” Scott said.

I figured I would try and help out poor Stiles here. I was the one with the more calming, motherly touch with this kind of stuff. “It could just be a coincidence, alright?” We all looked around trying to find her, but to no avail. “A seriously amazing coincidence.”

“Just help me find her, okay?” Scott asked.

“Yeah, Scotty, we'll help,” I said, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. I continued to look around trying to find her, but just couldn't seem to.

It's like when you've placed something down somewhere and you need to find it, but can't remember where you put it. This was like that. Like, finding a needle in a haystack.

With every girl I looked at with long brown hair, I started to grow frustrated as these girls were obviously not Allison.

“Do you see her?” Scott asked.

“No,” Stiles said.

Scott was really starting to freak out now. I was almost afraid he was gonna start changing. Keyword, almost. Stiles was really trying to help me not be afraid of Wolf Scott. It was sort of helping.

Scott ran a hand through his hair and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. I mean, if I was Scott's shoes, I'd be freaking the hell out, too! He turned a corner and ran into a set of lockers, panting and trying to keep his heart rate down. I followed him, but stayed a good distance back.

He groaned and screamed, punching the locker he was at. It bent and immediately came off the hinges, hanging on by one. Realizing what he'd done, Scott looked at the locker and backed away, looking around to see if anyone saw what he'd done.

I saw him walk away, and that's when I went to find Stiles. As soon as I found him, I stood next to him as our principal’s voice came through the intercom system; “Attention, students, this your Principal. I know you're all wondering about the incident that occurred last night to one of our buses. While the police work to determine what happened, classes will proceed as scheduled. Thank you.”

Seemed like you could hear the entire school groan and complain at the same time. I know I sure did.

~~~

Chemistry class with Mr. Harris. How fun. I was sitting with Scott, facing the board. I actually wanted to pass this class, even if I really didn't like the teacher. He was such an asshole.

Scott turned halfway around in his seat to talk to Stiles, who was sitting behind us. I looked over my shoulder at Stiles and turned my lower half to somewhat face him, letting both him and Scott know that I was interested in the conversation.

“Maybe it was my blood on the door,” Scott whispered.

“Could've been animal blood,” Stiles responded.

“Yeah, Scotty. You have no traces of blood on your fingers anyway,” I said. I developed this almost talent, you could say, of paying attention to my teachers and my best friends' conversations at the same time. How I managed to pass all my classes while doing this, I have no idea.

“You know, maybe you caught a rabbit or something,” I suggested.

“And did what?” Scott turned around and asked me.

“Ate it,” I said, feeling sorry for this made up rabbit.

“Raw?” Scott asked incredulously.

“No, you stopped to bake in a little werewolf oven,” I sassed. “I don't know, you're the one who said you can't remember anything.”

“Ms. Thomas,” Mr. Harris called my name. I looked up at him from my doodles. “If that's your idea of a hushed whisper, you might want to pull the headphones out every once in a while. I think you, Mr. Stilinski and Mr. McCall would benefit from a little distance, yes?” he said.

“No,” Stiles and I said.

Mr. Harris did some movement with his hand, so Scott got his stuff and went to the front of the class to sit at another work bench, while I stayed put. Ain't no way I was moving out of my seat. Stiles also got his stuff and moved to another work bench.

“Let me know if the separation anxiety gets to be too much.” Mr. Harris quipped.

I watched as Stiles put his backpack strap on his shoulder and sarcastically laugh.

Scott sat down next to a girl, and looked back at Jackson from the corner of his eye. Jackson's been acting really weird since the lacrosse game.

As Scott was turning his head back to the front, the girl sitting next to him said, “Hey, I think they found something.” before everyone moved towards the windows. Stiles and I stood next to Scott and watched as the paramedics wheeled a man on a stretcher towards the ambulance.

“That's not a rabbit,” Scott said, looking at me. I looked back at him for a split second before turning my attention back to the man. He all of a sudden jumped up on the stretcher, making all of us scream and jump back. I felt a hand on my back, looking to see who the culprit was. Stiles. I turned my head back around and noticed that Scott had an arm out in front of me like a soccer mom.

“Okay,” Stiles said. Scott moved his arm back and started backing away from the windows. Stiles and I noticed and walked over to him.

“This is good, this is good,” Stiles said. “He got up, he's not dead.”

“Dead guys can't do that,” I chimed in.

“Guys…” Scott said. “I did that.”

~~~

Walking towards our table at lunch, I tried to reason with Scott, “But dreams aren't memories.” He sat down at the side of the table closest to him, as Stiles and I went to the other side of the table.

“Then it wasn't a dream,” Scott said. We all set our trays on the table and took our bags off our backs. “Something happened last night, and I can't remember what.”

I sat on Stiles' right as he asked, “What makes you so sure that Derek even has all the answers?”

“Because,” Scott said. “During the full moon he wasn't changed. He was in total control while I was running around in the middle of the night attacking some totally innocent guy.”

I was having a salad for lunch, and as I was mixing my honey mustard dressing into my salad, I said, “Scotty, you don't know that.”

“I don't not know it,” he sassed.

I looked at him with a look that said I was the only sassy one in the group.

He looked down at the table. “I can't go out with Allison. I have to cancel.”

“Scotty, no,” I said. “You're not canceling, okay? You can't just cancel your entire life. We'll figure it out.”

It was at that moment that Lydia placed her tray down on the table next to Scott. She looked at all of us, giving me a harsh glare, and asked, “Figure what out?” She sat down and placed her purse on the floor.

I looked over and saw that Stiles was gaping at Lydia then looked to Scott, probably thinking to himself, 'You lucky bastard.' He looked at me and noticed my unhappy look. I wasn't doing that look at him, per se, I was doing it at the fact that Lydia was sitting with us. We haven't sat at the same lunch table since last year. Before she ruined it for me.

“Just, uh, homework,” Scott answered, also noticing my unhappy look.

“Why is she sitting with us?” I harshly whispered to Stiles. A girl named Harley sat down on Stiles' left. He looked over and gave her a small smile. A boy, whose name I don't know, sat at the head of the table while Danny sat to my right. Allison sat down next to Scott, who had moved his backpack from the seat he'd set it in when we got to the table.

“Hey, Danny,” I greeted.

“Hey, Emma,” he greeted back. I liked Danny. I thought he was sweet and needed protecting from this world. “How'd you do on your English quiz?”

“Good,” I nodded my head. “A minus. My mom wasn't happy, but my dad was pleased.” My mom always wanted me to get A pluses on my assignments. She said that if I got really good grades and kept my GPA at a 4.0, I'd get into the best Universities. She wanted me to go to Harvard Law where she studied, but I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life yet. I still had two more years of high school to figure all that out with.

“That's good,” Danny said. “I'm sorry about your parents,” he told me. He sounded like he didn't want to, but he did anyway.

“It's okay,” I said. “Thanks.”

Jackson walked up to the table and told the kid to get up.

“How come you never ask Danny to get up?” the kid asked.

“Because I don't stare at his girlfriend's coin slot,” Danny sassed. I snorted and covered my mouth, trying not to laugh.

The kid got up and Jackson took his seat, acting as King of Beacon Hills High.

“So, I hear they're saying it's some type of animal attack,” Danny said. “Probably a cougar.” He looked at me, knowing I knew the differences between wild felines. We both did a project together in seventh grade about them.

“I heard a mountain lion,” Jackson said.

“A cougar is a mountain lion,” Lydia and I said. We glared at each other for a hot second before she put on that dumb act, saying,“Isn't it?”

Jackson scoffed. “Who cares? The guy's probably some homeless tweaker who's gonna die anyway.”

“You know what?” I breathed out a chuckle. “I just remembered that I had some last minute homework I forgot to do this morning. I'll see you guys later.” With that, I picked up my stuff and walked out of the cafeteria, looking back over my shoulder to see Stiles and Scott looking at me.

~~~

I was sitting in front of my locker, finishing off my salad and going over some material for my next class when a body slid down the lockers next to me. I looked over and saw that it was Stiles. I looked back to my book and asked, “Did they find out who the guy is?”

Looking back over at him, he was looking at the ground, nodding at my question. “Yup. Garrison Meyers. He obviously survived and is at Beacon Memorial in critical condition.”

“Damn,” I said.

“Scott said he was his old bus driver when he lived with his dad. Oh, and get this,” he said.

“Hmm?” I hummed, taking a sip of my Snapple Peach Tea. Stuff was so good.

“The entire thing was cringe worthy. You would've loved it,” he said. “Scott and Allison somehow got roped into going bowling with Jackson and Lydia.”

I started laughing. “Oh, my God!” I placed one hand over my mouth, the other over my heart, trying to pull back some.

“Yeah,” Stiles chuckled. “He told Jackson that he's a great bowler.”

I laughed even harder. “What the hell? Why?”

“Probably to impress Allison and make himself look like a jackass in front Jackson,” he shrugged.

“Scott's terrible at bowling,” I said, calming down from my laughing fit. “My sides hurt.”

“Yeah, you're telling me,” Stiles said. “I'll never forget the day we all went bowling a couple summers ago.”

I remember that day pretty well. The boys and I went bowling just because. When Scott went up to bowl, he did everything right... except when he went to let go of the ball, it slipped out of his hand and landed right on the ground in front me. Stiles and I were sitting at the chairs next to the ball return. If I hadn't have had my feet up on the seat, waiting for my turn, my foot would've probably been broken.

“Since Scott's doing that tomorrow night, did you want to hang out? I mean, we hang out all the time, but here lately it's been with Scott and helping him with this werewolf stuff,” I suggested.

“Yeah. Yeah, we can do that. Star Wars marathon?” he asked. It had been a while since I watched Star Wars with him, so I smiled and said, “Sure. I'll try not to fall asleep this time,” I promised. Although, I'm not sure how long I was going to last. Those always did put me to sleep.

Stiles and I looked at each other for a second before he asked, “So, what's the deal with your parents?”

I looked down at my book and closed it. “Uhm,” I cleared my throat. “They sat me down the other night and asked how I would feel if they separated for a while. I told them that it's ultimately their choice, but I'd be devastated. Stiles, my parents made me believe in love so much. If they divorce...” I paused, my eyes watering with tears. I whispered, “I'm not sure I'll ever believe in love again.”

A couple of tears ran down my cheeks and Stiles wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I tilted my head onto his shoulder and we just sat there for a moment before he spoke up saying, “Emma, I'm sure there's someone out there who's gonna make you keep believing.”

I looked up at him. “You promise?”

“I promise.”

We stayed like that until the bell rang, signaling that class was about to begin.

~~~

“Scotty, you're a terrible bowler,” I said as we walked down a set of stairs.

“I know! I'm such an idiot,” he exclaimed, doing a little turn before going down the tiny set of stairs below the ones we just came down.

“God, it was like watching a car wreck,” Stiles quipped. “I mean, first it turned into the whole group date thing. And then out of nowhere comes that phrase.”

“Hang out,” Scott said.

Stiles put his head in his hands for a second then said, “You don't hang out with hot girls, okay? It's like death. Once it's hanging out, you might as well be her gay best friend. You and Danny can start hanging out.”

“How is this happening?” Scott asked. “I either killed a guy or I didn't.”

I was silent throughout all this, wondering if Stiles found me hot or not.

“I don't think Danny likes me very much.” Stiles said.

Scott's not even paying to Stiles' own personal dilemma, too focused on his own, because he said, “I ask Allison on a date, and now we're hanging out.”

“Am I not attractive to gay guys?” Stiles wondered.

“I make first line, and the team captain wants to destroy me, and now--” Scott looked at his phone for the time. “Now I'm gonna be late for work.” He walked out of the school, leaving just me and Stiles.

“Wait, Scott, you didn't-- am I attractive to gay guy--” he exclaimed. He stopped walking and looked down at me. “He didn't answer my question.” We turned around and walked back down the hallway.

“Stiles?” “Yeah, Em?”

“Do you think I'm hot?”

He stopped walking suddenly and turned around to face me as I was looking at the ground. “Wha-- why would you ask that?”

“Because you told Scott that you can't just hang out with hot girls or else you might as well be gay,” I said, shaking my head a little, looking up at him.

“What makes you think you're not?” he asked.

“Well, because I hang out with you and Scott all the time--”

“We're your best friends, Em,” he said. “Of course, you hang out with us.”

I sighed and said, “Just answer the question.”

He took a step closer to me and said, “You're not hot.”

I looked down with a sadness he couldn't see. He put his index finger under my chin and lifted my head up. I couldn't decide the emotion his eyes were holding as he looked me deep in my eyes and said in a voice low enough for only me to hear, “You're the most beautiful girl in the whole school.”

I smiled and gave him a hug. “Thanks, Stiles.”

He returned the hug and said, “Anytime, Em. Anytime.”

~~~

Sitting at the dinner table with my dad, I had a thought that I wanted to share. “Hey, Dad.”

“Yeah, sweetheart?”

“Uhm, I was just wondering, uhm, that if you and Mom divorced, who-- who would I live with?” I wondered. “Like, who would move out, who would stay, what would that mean for me?”

He looked at me and raised a concerned eyebrow. “Honey, where is this coming from?”

“Some kid at school told me he was sorry to hear about you and Mom,” I shrugged. “I mean, I know you guys fight, I can hear it from my bedroom, but I didn't know that you were seriously thinking about it.”

“Baby, look,” Dad said. “Sometimes people get married because they absolutely love each other and they stick around until old age. But other times, people get married because they love each other and at some point, they fall out of love. I know your Mother and I made you believe in love and I love the impact it had on you. But, if your Mother and I do divorce, I want you to keep believing because, Emma, there is someone out there for you. He could be right in front of your face and you're not even noticing. If one of us has to leave, I'm pretty sure it's going to be your mother. Now,” he put a hand up to get me to not talk. “I know. Me knowing for sure right now that your mother would be the one to leave, but, sweetheart, a certain event in our marriage has caused it to fall apart.”

I looked at him and wondered what it was. “What is it, Dad? I'm sixteen. I can handle it.”

He hesitantly took a breath and began again. “You know how your Mom is always making you take food to Bobby some mornings and before some games?” he asked. I nodded my head. “And she's always saying she's working late at her office?” I nodded again, but this time I was starting to understand what he was telling me.

“Daddy, are you telling me that Mom's cheating on you with someone from her office?”

He looked down, almost with shame, and nodded.

I got up from my seat at the table and walked beside him, placing my arms around his neck. “We'll be okay, Daddy. Don't you worry. You'll be okay. We'll make this work.”

“How are you so strong?” he asked and I could hear the tears in his voice.

“Because I have you as a dad,” I smiled. I heard my phone chime next to my dinner plate and walked over to grab it. It was a text from Stiles, telling me to come outside right now because Scott had a plan to help him remember if his dream was totally real or not.

“Uhm, Dad, I really hate to rush off this late at night with a curfew, but I have to go with Stiles somewhere,” I looked up and saw him looking at me with a raised brow that said something along the lines of not on my watch.

“He's right outside,” I said. “I swear, we'll be fine. Can't you just let this slip?”

He drummed his fingers on the table and sighed. “Go on, get out of here. I trust Stiles.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” I said, walking over to him and planting a kiss on his cheek. I walked out of the house and saw that Scott was standing outside of the Jeep, impatiently waiting for me to get in.

“What took you so long?” Stiles asked.

“Stiles, my dad is your dad's deputy,” I said. “Think about it. Two kids of a sheriff and deputy out past curfew. How do you think that's gonna look with the town?”

“He just let you go, didn't he?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “I told him I had to go somewhere with you, and he let me go. Now, drive.”

~~~

Stiles drove us to the back of the school where the buses are. He turned off the Jeep and we all hopped out.

“Hey, no, just me,” Scott said as we were all walking towards the fence. “Someone needs to stay with Emma and keep watch.”

I was starting to get on edge being out here at night with the woods basically right beside us.

“How come I'm always the one keep a watch on Emma?” Stiles asked, going to climb the fence.

“Because there's only two of us,” Scott said, putting a hand on Stiles' arm to keep him from climbing up further.

Stiles apparently wasn't Scott's biggest fan at the moment because he was getting a little bit grumpy. “Okay, why's it starting to feel like you're Batman and I'm Robin? I don't wanna be Robin all the time.”

I gave him an unimpressed look and said, “Nobody's Batman and Robin any of the time.”

“Not even some of the time?” Stiles asked me.

“Just stay here,” Scott said.

“Oh, my God!” Stiles exclaimed. “ Fine. Come on, Emma,” he grumbled, walking towards the Jeep.

I looked to Scott and put a hand on his arm, giving him a reassuring smile. “Good luck, Scotty.” Taking my hand off his arm and walking to the Jeep, I heard Scott climb over the fence as I got into the passenger side of the Jeep. I was very thankful that I was still wearing my clothes from school earlier. The jeans really made getting in and out of the Jeep and climbing over the seats a hell of a lot easier.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before I quietly spoke up. “Uhm,” I started, quietly clearing my throat. “You'll always be Batman to me, Stiles.” I looked at him. He was sitting with his left arm on the door, head resting on his fingers, his right hand was gripping the steering wheel. He must've felt me looking at him because he looked over at me and smiled a little. “Thanks, Em.”

“So, no matter the outcome of this--” I motioned towards the buses. “Situation, are we still on for tomorrow night?” I asked.

“Hell yeah, we are,” he said with a bigger smile.

I smiled back at him before looking back at the buses, noticing lights. “Uh, Stiles.”

Stiles honked the horn to let Scott know trouble was coming.

As soon as Scott front flipped over the fence from on top of a car, I climbed into the back seat, giving Scott his seat back.

He jumped into the Jeep and yelled, “Go! Go! Go! Go!”

Stiles backed up and started driving forward. I think he was feeding off of Scott's adrenaline as he exclaimed, “Did it work? Did you remember?”

Scott looked over at Stiles, sitting somewhat sideways in the seat. I should note that none of us were wearing our seat belts. Buckle up, kids! “Yeah, I was there last night. And the blood-- a lot it was mine.”

“So you did attack him?” Stiles asked, sparing a quick glance at Scott.

“No. I--I saw glowing eyes in the bus, but there weren't mine,” Scott said. “It was Derek.”

I leaned forward and asked, “What about the driver?”

“I think I was actually trying to protect him,” Scott informed us.

“Wait, why did Derek help you remember that he attacked the driver?” Stiles asked.

“That's what I don't get,” Scott said.

“It's gotta be a pack thing,” Stiles suggested.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Like an initiation,” he told me, quickly glancing back at me then back to the road. This time he addressed Scott. “You do the kill together.”

“Because ripping someone's throat out is a real bonding experience?” Scott and I sassed.

“Yeah, but you didn't do it, which means you're not a killer.” Stiles said. “And it also means that--”

“I can go out with Allison,” Scott said with a hint of happiness in his voice.

“I think he was gonna say it means you won't kill us,” I sassed.

“Oh, yeah,” Scott said, looking from Stiles to me. “That, too.”

I giggled and slapped Scott on the arm. “You're such an ass.”

~~~

While Scott was getting ready for his double date with Allison, Lydia and Jackson, Stiles and I were in our comfy pajamas, sitting on his bed with a bowl of popcorn, Star Wars waiting for us on his laptop as I sighed in content.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “Just happy with my life at the moment. Ya'know, not worrying that Scott's gonna kill us, I got all my homework done, and I'm hanging out with one of my best friends in the entire world. Life right now,” I nodded a little. “Is good.”

“What about the other time?” he asked.

I looked down, ashamed of what I was really wanting to talk to him about. “Uhm,” I sniffled a little, tears already being brought to my eyes. I felt the bed shift behind me and saw that Stiles was leaning back against his headboard, left arm stretched out, waiting for me to come to his side.

Since I was sitting with my legs crossed at the foot of his bed, I turned and crawled up the bed and placed my head on his chest. He put his arm around my upper back, placing his hand on my upper left arm and shoulder, rubbing the area softly. When one of us needed to talk about something serious, you'd normally find us in this position.

“What's on your mind?” he whispered.

“My parents,” I said. “Dad said last night that Mom was cheating on him. So, I guess the rumor about my parents getting divorced is looking like it's coming true.” I looked at a spot on his shirt, reaching my left arm up and playing with it. “I don't know how I'm gonna handle it, Stiles. I mean, I may act all strong and stuff around my dad, but I'm not.” I started crying, not wanting to, but more so, needing to. I needed to get this all out.

Stiles brought his right arm over his stomach to basically give me a weird hug and sighed. “Hey, you're strong, alright? You were there for me when my mom died and I know how much you loved each other.” I scooted up on the bed some, my head now resting on his shoulder.

“Comfy,” I whispered.

“Your parents raised you to be the strong girl that's in my arms right now,” he continued. “You're gonna get over Scott wolfing out, you're gonna get through your parents possibly divorcing, and you're gonna get through anything else that comes along.”

I looked up at him through my lashes. “Really?” I asked.

“Really.”

I looked back down and sighed. “Stiles, my parents made me believe in true love. If they divorce, all of that goes down the drain. It'll be like my belief will be divorced from me.” I sat up. “I mean, what if I never believe in love again. Is there someone out there, waiting for me? Is there someone out there waiting to meet me to fall in love with me? I mean, Stiles..” I let out a quick sigh and turned my head to look at him. “Do you believe in love?”

“Well, yeah,” he started.

“And I don't mean your love for Lydia,” I said. “If you weren't so hung up on her, would you still believe in it?”

He moved and sat on his knees. “Emma, look at me.” So I did. Really looking at him, again with that emotion I can't seem to decipher. “I've believed in love since before Lydia. My parents also made me believe in love. I saw the love they had for each other and wanted to share it with someone. Granted, I was only 6 at the time, but I knew what true love was because I saw it in my parents. I know you know what true love looks like, too, with your parents.”

“But, Stiles, if my mom really truly loved my dad, why did she have to cheat?” I said. “Cheating isn't a part of being in love with someone. If anything, it's the opposite.”

We heard a knock on the door, looking to see that it was Sheriff. “Sorry, I sort of overheard what you guys were talking about,” he said. “Uhm, Emma, I think it's best if you stayed over here for a few days.”

I looked at him confused, so he elaborated. “I found your dad stone cold drunk, passed on your couch today. When he didn't show up for work, I got worried and went over. I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I'd like it if you stayed over here for a few days. Or weeks. However long it'll take for your dad to straighten out.”

“So, does that mean..” I said.

“He's on an involuntary leave of absence,” Sheriff nodded. “Once he realizes his gun and badge are missing, he's not gonna be very happy with me. Go back over in the morning before school and grab as much stuff as you want. I’ve already talked to your mom, and as your godfather, I'm now your acting legal guardian.”

I looked down and nodded, wondering what hell my dad's gotten himself into.

“Alright. I'll let you two get back to your movie night,” Sheriff said, closing the door.

I sighed and looked back at Stiles, who had this look between horror and relief on his face.

“Come on. Let's watch these movies,” I sighed.

We got back into the position we were just in and started watching Star Wars.

About fifteen minutes into the first movie, I fell asleep. No shocker there. About however many minutes later, I felt Stiles lightly shake my shoulder. “Hey. Wake up. We gotta go.”

“What?” I asked groggily. “What year is it?” I looked around and realized that I was laying fully down and not on Stiles like I had been. He must've gotten up a little bit ago.

He chuckled, saying, “Come on, get dressed. We gotta go to Scott's.”

“Why?” I asked.

“I'll explain everything once we get there.”

I nodded my head and deeply sighed, getting up. “Turn around,” I said, grabbing my jeans. I was wearing one of Stiles' Mets shirts, so I just kept that on. I slipped my shoes onto my feet, grabbed my phone, and walked to his bedroom door. “Get in, loser, we're going shopping.”

~~~

When we got to Scott's, Stiles told me that we had to climb through Scott's window. I rolled my eyes, but followed his lead. After we climbed up to the window, Stiles tried to quietly open it, but it made a lot of noise that we didn't need.

It was dark in Scott's room when we climbed through. Stiles rolled on Scott's bed, while I just crawled. The event that happened next made my heart jump out of my throat. Melissa had apparently grabbed a baseball bat and went to swing at Stiles.

“Oh, no, no!” he screamed, flailing around on the bed. We all screamed like we were being murdered.

Melissa held that bat up with confidence... but also fear. “Stiles, what the hell are you and Emma doing here?”

“What are we doing?” he yelled. “God, do either of you even play baseball?”

I heard feet pattering in the hallway before Scott ran into his room and turned on the light. “What?”

“Can you please tell your friends to use the front door?” Melissa asked Scott.

“But we lock the front door,” Scott said. “They wouldn't be able to get in.”

“Yeah, exactly.” Melissa looked at us like we were crazy. “And, by the way, do any of you care that there's a police-enforced curfew?”

“No,” we all answered.

“No. Alright then. Well, you know what?” She tossed the bat onto the bed next to me, Stiles looking at it like he was gonna steal it. “That's about enough parenting for me for one night, so good night,” she concluded, tossing up two peace signs and walking out the door. I smiled at that. I always did find that Melissa was like a third mom to me.

Stiles looked at Scott and I, sighing. I moved from my spot behind Stiles to sit next to him. Scott looked at him and asked, “What?”

“My dad left for the hospital 15 minutes ago,” he said. “It's the bus driver.” He sounded like he really didn't want to tell us something. Scott sat down in his desk chair that he moved over to in front of us. “They said he succumbed to his wounds.”

“Succumbed?” Scott and I asked.

“Guys, he's dead,” he said, looking down. I looked down, as well, hating hearing about innocent people dying for no reason. It just wasn't fair.

Scott got up from his chair and said he was going to Derek's before he bolted out of his bedroom window and straight into the woods. Stiles and I followed suit, but instead of going into the woods, we went home.

When we had gotten back, we changed back into our pajamas, the popcorn long forgotten about, and continued the movie where we had left off. We both ended up falling asleep, right back in the position we were in before. Safe in each other's arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N 2: Fun fact about me; I have blue eyes. Another fact; I should probably start researching things, but I probably won’t... Gif was made by me. Hope y’all enjoyed! Like and reblog, so your friends / followers can read! Let me know what y’all thought!

~~~

YABMH Taglist : @stiles-o-dylan24 @stixnstripesworld @fandom-princess-forevermore @quanticobae @mischiefandi @kellysashcroft @lauren-novak @sammypotato67 @originalamethysthealer @alittlebitofeverythinggg @katemusic @hcomet28 @good-vibes-and-glitter @luckylouiebug

Taglist was taken from the Forever / Everything taglist. If you want to be added, just let me know.

Italics wouldn’t let me tag 🥺

~~~

*Please don’t post my writing anywhere else without my consent. The author of this work will always and forever be @harringtonstilinski.

All characters, story lines, and plot aside from Emma and her storyline & plot, are all of the work of Jeff Davis. Our home slice Emma was made up all by me. As well we her parents and their storyline throughout the series.

*These works contain material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.

No part of these works may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

Posted September 1, 2020

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crowdvscritic · 3 years

Text

round up // AUGUST 21

Happy 2nd birthday to these Round Ups! For two years I’ve been making monthly pop culture picks, and they’ve included:

More than 200 movies

32 TV shows and specials, plus 8 different Saturday Night Live Round Ups

27 albums, singles, playlists, and more music picks

13 podcasts

12 books

2 concerts

There have also been articles, events, museums, social media bits, trailers, and a service that helps you find movies across streaming platforms. (Find all of them here.) This month I’m adding a few more, like:

2 podcasts

2 albums

5 vampire movies

A conversation between two GOATs

A very funny dead guy

A terrifying Robert Mitchum performance

Another Dumb Rom-Com I Nevertheless Enjoyed

Here’s to another year!

August Crowd-Pleasers

1. Jungle Cruise (2021)

Indiana Jones meets Pirates of the Caribbean with a dash of The African Queen. I like all those movies, so sue me, I had a nice time! Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

2. Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Genetically-enhanced sharks try to break free of their cages in an ocean research facility, chaos ensues for the characters, and it’s a delight for us. For no intelligent reason, I love movies that make me guess who’s going to get killed off next, so a big dumb shark movie starring L.L. Cool J and Samuel L. Jackson? It’s a particular brand of joy. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 5.5/10

3. Double Feature — Adam Sandler Comedies: 50 First Dates (2004) + Murder Mystery (2019)

Adam Sandler movies are little like IcyHot for the brain—that is, they’re the relaxing kind of mind-numbing. Thanks to a stressful month at work, I watched six Sandler flicks in August—which I don’t necessarily recommend but also don’t regret—and the Netflix original Murder Mystery (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10) was one of the the best of the bunch. It’s a silly spoof of Agatha Christie’s work, and it’s a scenic two-hour European vacay. I also gave 50 First Dates (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10) another try and was pleasantly surprised. Once you get past some of the gross-out humor at the beginning, you’ll find a sweet story all about how we need to keep showing up for the people we love.

4. Double Feature — SNL Comedies: Wayne’s World (1992) + Hot Rod (2007)

My love for Saturday Night Live is more than well-documented, so exactly zero mes were surprised that I loved these flicks from its alums. Wayne’s World (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7/10) follows up with Wayne and Garth in the basement we first saw on late night. Now they have the opportunity to make it big on TV thanks to a sleazy exec (Rob Lowe). Brian Doyle-Murray and Chris Farley show up, and so do Laverne and Shirley? Hot Rod (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10) follows Rod (Andy Samberg) as he tries to make it big as a stuntman and impress his stepdad (Ian McShane). Will Arnett, Bill Hader, and Chris Parnell show up, and now I can mostly forgive all those boys in high school who quoted this movie non-stop.

5. Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)

If those SNL comedies weren’t enough silliness for you, how about you add some Bernie to your lineup? Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman are wannabe-yuppies who think they’ve got their career breaks when an exec named Bernie invites them to his vacation home for the weekend. What they don’t know is that Bernie (Terry Kiser) has been laundering money, is connected to the mob, and, is now, um, dead. The right thing would be to call the police, but then we wouldn’t have a 97-minute high-concept comedy, now would we? Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7/10

6. Twilight series (2008-12)

I mostly skipped the Twilight phenomenon at its peak, but I’m so glad I hopped on the train years later—this series of vampire vs. werewolf showdowns are ridiculous. But major kudos to the filmmakers who somehow turned a dump truck of nonsensical gobbledygook and unhealthy teenage relationships into something insanely watchable. Also, major kudos to Billy Burke and his understated, curmudgeonly, sarcastic performance. Bella’s dad is the MVP with the only appropriate responses to all of the nonsense he's forced to participate in and the only tether this franchise has to reality. Be sure to watch with a friend so you have someone else to process this weirdness with. Series Crowd: 8/10 // Series Critic: 5/10

7. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at The Muny

You know what’s great? Live theater! This month I made my first trip back to the stage at America’s oldest and largest outdoor amphitheater, the Muny in St. Louis. Their productions never disappoint, and these performers reminded me of Howard Keel, Jane Powell, and Russ Tamblyn in the best ways.

8. Wimbledon (2004)

Paul Bettany and Kirsten fall in love at Wimbledon! Frankly, that premise alone should be enough to sell you on this very winning rom-com. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7.5/10

9. Career Opportunities (1991)

This month’s Dumb Rom-Com I Nevertheless Enjoyed! Frank Whaley and Jennifer Connelly fall in love while stuck overnight at a Target—which honestly sounds like a dream scenario—and since it’s a John Hughes script, it’s got some heart beneath its thin premise. John Hughes directing would’ve made it better, but there’s enough Hughes in there to catch my heart. Crowd: 7/10 // Critic: 4.5/10

10. First Blood (1982)

Aka Rambo: Part I. Sylvester Stallone is a tough-as-nails Vietnam vet, and Brian Dennehy is the self-righteous sheriff who ticks him off. It digs a bit into PTSD and how we don’t take care of our veterans, but mostly, it’s just Stallone going ape with a knife and explosives. Oddly, also from the same director as Weekend at Bernie’s! Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

August Critic Picks

1. TCM’s The Plot Thickens Season 2 (2021)

You know those movies that make you ask, “How on Earth did this get made?” This season of The Plot Thickens, subtitled The Devil’s Candy, is an attempt to answer that question. Pretty much no one thinks 1990’s The Bonfire of the Vanities works as a film—including yours truly—and reporter Julie Salomon documented many of its production troubles leading to the final product. A must-listen for anyone who loves hearing behind-the-scenes stories or just gets a kick out of schadenfreude.

2. Gene and Roger (2021)

Gene and Roger, the summer series on The Big Picture podcast, is an overview and reflection on the work of Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, starting with the launch of their individual careers in the ‘60s through their partnership that lasted into the ‘90s. Another must-listen for movie lovers, especially those who love digging into the history and criticism.

3. Gold-Diggers Sound by Leon Bridges (2021)

Chill vibes and cool groves to transition you from Summer to Autumn.

4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Come for the Clint Eastwood, stay for the Ennio Morricone. Actually you can stay for Eastwood, too, because his humor is at his driest, and for Eli Wallach, whose Tuco is an insanely charming cockroach. It’s almost three hours, but this treasure hunt breezes by like a tumbleweed in the wind. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10

5. AFI’s Master Class - The Art of Collaboration: Steven Spielberg and John Williams (2011)

Two GOATS talking about making some of the GOATs. They share clips and explain their collaborative process (including on projects like Jaws and Schindler’s List), and they take questions from film students at AFI. I’m only wishing it were 10 hours instead of 1!

6. The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Robert Mitchum’s terrifying preacher elevates this classic into more than just a standard crime thriller. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

7. Respect (2021)

While a few scenes indulge in melodrama, Jennifer Hudson’s killer performance—both in vocals and character work—more than makes up for it. This Aretha Franklin biopic hits the familiar beats, but it makes you feel like you’re in the room listening to Franklin sing , which is really all you want from a movie like this. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8/10

8. Solar Power by Lorde (2021)

At first listen, this minimalist pop record sounds worlds away from the angst of Pure Heroine and the melodrama of Melodrama. At second listen, you realize it’s the Lorde you know and love, just with a Laurel Canyon influence. Carole King even gets a shout!

Also in August…

This month Kyla and I checked out Loveline, a call-in radio show popular during the run of Gilmore Girls. Should our favorite Yale students give up dating OR call into the syndicated radio show Loveline? Should Dr. Drew Pinsky and Adam Carolla give strangers advice OR make fun of them? Oh, and Germany OR Florida? Listen to ep. 107 of SO IT’S A SHOW?

The '40s are coming! Reviews of 1940s Best Picture winners are on their way, and I kicked it off with an overview of the Academy that decade focusing on how they responded to World War II and their new prestigious reputation.

Photo credits: The Muny, The Plot Thickens, Gene and Roger, Leon Bridges, AFI, Lorde. All others IMDb.com.

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cricketnationrise · 3 years

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February 2021 Reading Roundup

jan 2021 here

21 brief descriptions/feelings under the cut because i talk a lot

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn: light romance novel with lots of miscommunication, cute not-a-date-dates, and whistleblowing on a giant corporation

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey: buckle up because you didn’t know you wanted future semi-post-apocalyptic horse-riding queer librarian spies but you definitely do. especially when its less than 200 pages and you can read it in the morning and make your friends read it the same afternoon (warnings for violence with guns and authoritarian governments)

Across the Dark Water by Richard Kadrey: tor.com short story, plague has left the city in ruins and perpetual quarantine, thief hrires a guide to lead him safely through the city to the person who can five him the travel papers he needs to escape, warnings for violence, feral dogs attacking humans, plague

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett: there are infinite parallel universes and some people can naturally “step” between them, but society is changed forever when someone posts the plans for a “stepper device” for free on the internet and suddenly (almost) everyone can travel between worlds

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin: part of the Hainish cycle but can absolutely be read out of order, genderfuckery abounding, basically everything that happens is a political machination

The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin: reread because my copies of the other two books in the trilogy came in the mail, first in the Broken Earth trilogy, where to start, umm, theres a group of people called orogones who can control rock/earth and there is lots of prejudice against them for that. triple POV that alternates, including one in second person, which is cool, explores all levels of this society from very poor to very rich, “fifth season” refers to a geological event where everything changes and usually a lot of the population dies (the seasons vary from acid rain to earth quakes to volcanoes etc); warning for harm to children, power imbalance, violence, murder, extreme coersion; not exactly a cliffhanger ending, but its not NOT an ending that makes you want the next book pretty quickly after

Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik: book 4 in the temeraire series, please please please read these in order, alternate history of napoleonic wars with talking dragons that are part of the military and form really close bonds with their captains/riders/crews

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall: relatively short, non-fiction, what it says on the tin

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield: non-fiction, extremely nerdy because that’s how i roll, history of the actual fonts, printing/writing, and a brief look at the most famous designers of fonts, the chapter on comic sans was particularly good

The Soldier’s Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian: book 1 in The Turners romance series, can be read out of order, sex on the page, m/m

Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner: last book (sad) in the Queen’s Thief series, absolutely must read these in order, political machinations abounding, gods meddling a bit, Gen is terrifying as per usual (complementary)

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennet: novella? short story? featuring the queen of england discovering reading for pleasure and freaking out her staff, her family, various government officials, and the members of the public who get to meet her

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins: technically book 1 in a series but can be read alone, some light magical realism (there’s a family with ~powers~ but small ones like being good at plants or being able to talk to books), a woman moves to a small town with her niece (who she has guardianship over as her sister has just died) and her foster mom who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the town is struggling financially and she thinks she’ll only be there for one year while they get their feet under them. she is wrong. alternating POV between three characters, light romance

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn: book 4 in the bridgerton series, focuses on the third oldest brother, Colin; romance, sex on the page, reveal of Lady Whistledown

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire: book 3 in the wayward children series, novella length, lots of world hopping in this one, some characters from previous books, Confection world, you probably should read these in order

The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin: book 2 in the broken earth trilogy; picks up almost immediately after the first one ends, still a three-narrator structure, although the narrators have changed, definitely read in order or nothing will make sense, the worldbuilding in this series is amazing

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis: buddy read with my mom, one of those books where the situations are hilarious and the banter is witty but i hated every single character because they are awful, set in an English university outside of london post WW2, warning for alcoholism and smoking

The Tyger by Tegan Moore: tor.com short story, Jules’ favorite exhibit in the museum brings the past to life, from present to prehistoric, tonight at his aunt’s wedding reception as jules walks along the path, it comes alive like never before; horror, but not gory, also it was short enough that i wasn’t too creeped out while reading it

Hockey Bois: A Beer League Romance by AL Heard: romance novel about two guys on the same beer league (adult rec league) hockey team who fall for each other, little to no knowledge of hockey is required, lots of emotions and an amount of not using their words, super cute, their teammates are awesome, their families are fun, plus I love a recurring local dive bar. plus the author is @jhoomwrites on here and there is more written in the universe if you’re interested (there’s smut on AO3 here)

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire: book 4 in the wayward children series, novella length, backstory for a character introduced in book 1; read in order for your own sanity, many emotions were had

The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian: book 2 in the turners series, romance novel, don’t need to read in order, sex on the page

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kmalexander · 4 years

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The 2020 Cosmic Horror Holiday Gift Guide

The phrase “Black Friday” has a more menacing tone in 2020—especially here in the United States. Hopefully, you’re following the advice of the experts, staying home, laying low, wearing masks, and washing your hands. But a pandemic shouldn’t stop gift giving! So, once again, I took some time and assembled my List of Lists for 2020. In it, you’ll find a plethora of paraphernalia for the weird-fiction fanatic, cosmic-horror connoisseur, or mythos maniac in your life. As with previous years, I’ve worked to assemble a list of exceptional items for all ages and budgets.

There’s a few changes this year. First, I’m now linking to IndieBound for all books. Please do what you can to support your local bookshops and small businesses. Odds are they can get you anything Amazon can, and it’ll help out your community. Secondly, where possible, I’m also linking to the author’s personal webpages. Check them out. Follow them. It’s a nice way to stay current with what’s happening in the world of weird fiction. Please remember, while I’ve ordered these by price, the prices and availability are subject to change. I don’t have any control over that. Happy shopping!

QUICK LINKS

• Books • Music • Apparel • Games • • Housewares • Miskatonic •

Books

Mother Hydra’s Mythos Rhymes by Jarred W. Wallace $9.95 + Shipping (Paperback)

This mock children’s book features twenty-one sinister nursery rhymes twisted with a Cthulhu Mythos bent and illustrated by the incredible Heather Hudson. Also included is a complete Edward Gorey-style alphabet. Every budding cultist should learn their ABCs after all.

The Worm And His Kings by Hailey Piper $13.00 + Shipping (Paperback) $6.99 (eBook)

This arrived only a few weeks ago, and I can’t wait to dive in. Set in New York City in 1990, the story follows Monique as she hunts for her missing girlfriend. But the trail goes much deeper than she realizes, sending Monique into a subterranean world of enigmatic cultists and shadowy creatures.

The Stars Were Right by K. M. Alexander $14.00 + Shipping (Paperback) $2.99 (eBook)

I’m nearly finished with Book Four’s edits. So, if you haven’t, now is the perfect time to start reading my Bell Forging Cycle. Follow Waldo Bell as he is sent careening through the multi-level megalopolis of Lovat, fighting to clear his name as a bloodthirsty killer stalks him. It’s mystery and monsters, chases and cults, and an ancient evil in a world that is similar but not quite like our own.

RADIO by J. Rushing $15.99 + Shipping (Paperback) $3.99 (eBook)

A jazz-infused, opium-soaked, historical fantasy with a transgressive edge that explodes from the opening chapter and never relents until its final pages—a welcome addition to modern fantasy literature and weird enough that it earned a place on this list.

Murder Ballads And Other Horrific Tales by John Hornor Jacobs $16.95 + Shipping (Paperback) $7.95 (eBook)

Seems like it’s becoming a tradition to see a new book from John Hornor Jacobs on this list every year, and it’s no surprise. He’s arguably one of the best mythos writers working today. This collection of recent horror and crime short stories takes you through tales involving old gods to malevolent artiﬁcial intelligences, plus it includes the sequel to his 2011 novel, Southern Gods.

The Cipher by Kathe Koja $17.95 + Shipping (Paperback) $3.99 (eBook)

Part haunted house story, part body horror, part descent-into-madness tale all told in the style of Transgressive Literature. The Cipher is one of those stories I was shocked I hadn’t read until this year. Koja writes stunningly physical characters and knotted complex relationships that feel eerily familiar to anyone who’s spent time in artist circles. Enjoy the Fun Hole. (One of my 2020 Three Great Horror Reads for Halloween.)

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones $26.99 + Shipping (Hardcover) $9.99 (eBook)

At its heart, this is a horror novel about growing up poor and native in western Montana. But The Only Good Indians also a novel about revenge, mistakes, and their extended consequences. I blew through it. I grew up not too far from where this novel is set, and I have yet to find a recent author that captures the behavior and actions of the people in that area quite as well as Jones. You’ll never look at elk the same way again. (One of my 2020 Three Great Horror Reads for Halloween.)

The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin $28.00 + Shipping (Hardcover) $14.99 (eBook)

The first of the Great Cities series focuses on a roiling, ancient evil that stirs beneath the streets of New York City and threatens to destroy the city. New York must go on, and it will take five protectors scattered across the boroughs coming together to stop it. An allegorical response to Lovecraft’s work and a love letter to the city.

The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces by H.P. Lovecraft $650.00 + Shipping (One Copy Available—Sold via AbeBooks)

This rare late-60s first edition copy from Arkham House is in fine condition with a fine dustwrapper. It also comes with an inscription by the publisher and editor of this work: “for Herb Arnold from the compiler – August Derleth.” An extremely unique find and a unique piece of weird fiction history.

No book catches your interest? Check out the books featured in one of the previous guides. • 2014 Books • 2015 Books • 2016 Books • 2017 Books • 2018 Books • 2019 Books •

Music & Audio

Tribute To H.P. Lovecraft by Epsilon Eridani Free (Digital Download)

This atmospheric and somber dark ambient album is the third project from Mexican electronic artist Juan Pablo Valle. Blending instrumental tracks, spoken words performances, and recitations of parts of Lovecraft’s stories, this tribute serves as an excellent horror soundtrack.

The Yellow Sign $6.99 (Digital Download)

While Lovecraftian music often skews towards dark ambient or metal performances, The Yellow Sign goes takes a more orchestral approach. Composer Graham Plowman has created a fantastic classical soundtrack putting this album on par with any feature film—brooding, menacing, and wonderfully enjoyable.

Beyond Madness by Aklo $9.00 (Digital Download)

Erich Zann would be jealous. Aklo, like its madness-inducing namesake, is hard to pin down. But this album captures “the beyond” in ways not often heard in modern music. Part noise, part experimental, Beyond Madness is an excellent addition to any Lovecraft fan’s collection.

Live from Stockholm by Ogham Waite $12.00 (Digital Download)

Ogham Waite, one of Innsmouth’s Deep One inhabitants, and the Amphibian Jazz Band are the mythos’ answer to the lounge stylings of early Tom Waits. Bluesy and moody, this seductively smokey album drips with saltwater. Waite’s performance and delivery are melodious as they are melodic, a great addition to mythos music.

Ambrose Bierce’s The Boarded Window $20.00 + Shipping (Vinyl)

This limited vinyl pressing of Bierce’s unsettling perspective-shifting tale is read by Anthony D. P. Mann and scored by Chris Bozzone. Cadabra Records always goes the extra mile with their products, and it’s clear from the hand-poured red and white splattered vinyl to the incredible art by Jeremy Hush.

Deities by Tortuga €22.50 ($26.68) + Shipping (Vinyl) €5.00 ($5.93) (Digital Download)

This one showed up randomly on a playlist, and I found myself intrigued. Once I listened to it, I became a fan. Tortuga is a Polish doom metal band whose work is loaded down with intricate and heavy driving riffs inspired by Lovecraft’s writings. It’s good stuff.

Not finding any music or audio that interests you? Check out one of the previous guides. • 2014 Music • 2015 Music • 2016 Music • 2017 Music • 2018 Music • 2019 Music •

Apparel

Tiki Cthulhu Embroidered Patch $9.00 + Shipping

I see many patches as I search for new cosmic horror gear throughout the year, and occasionally I find one that rises to the top. This sew-on tiki-styled Ctuhulu is 3″ x 2.5″ and was created for the 2018 H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival. If you want a mythos inspired adornment for your bag or jacket that’s a bit outside the norm, look no further.

Cthulhu Socks $18.00 + Shipping

It’s winter in the northern hemisphere, that means you need to keep your appendages warm. Also, socks-for-Christmas is a right of passage. Why not consider getting these Cthulhu Socks from PutYourSocksOn featuring tentacles up the side and an illustration of the dead and dreaming Cthulhu on the ankle.

Sourpuss Tropicthulhu Rosie Dress $29.00 + Shipping

When you are associated with the ocean, you generally get associated with the tropics regardless of where your sunken city dwells. This 40’s style Rosie Dress allows you to show your appreciation of R’lyeh’s favorite son in a subtle but delightful manner.

Amulet of Azathoth £23.95 ($34.42) + Shipping

It’s the grandpappy of the mythos deities in amulet form! Well, kinda. A representation of the nuclear chaos beyond angled space himself. This antique amulet is a little over an inch and a half long and is cold cast in a mixture of resin and brass—a stunning little pendant.

Mother & Father Statuary Set $85.00 + Free Shipping

These handmade and hand-painted resin figures of Dagon and Hydra would work perfectly as bookends or garden statues. Aged in a way to evoke feelings of lost treasure salvaged from the seafloor or perhaps a dank and forgotten chamber somewhere beneath Innsmouth. Kinda cute to boot.

Cara Mater Silvae Shub-Niggurath Woodcut Print $187.50 + Free Shipping (Limited Edition)

Liv Rainey-Smith’s fantastic woodcut work has long been a fixture in the weird lit community. This limited-edition print is done in the style of a sacred icon and features a great rendition of Shub-Niggurath, The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young, or as my readers will know her, “Cybill.”

Keeper of the Nightmare Mask $331.53 + Free Shipping (Made to Order)

Plague doctors always cut a fearsome figure in humanity’s historical memory, but what lies beneath that leather mask and shielded eyes? This custom made-to-order mask twists tentacles to form that familiar (and terrifying) plague-doctor shape adding an extra level of menace to an already menacing form.

Not finding apparel you like? Check out the apparel on one of the previous guides. • 2014 Apparel • 2015 Apparel • 2016 Apparel • 2017 Apparel • 2018 Apparel • 2019 Apparel •

Games

No Players Online Name Your Own Price (Windows/Linux)

What starts as a simple old demo of a capture-the-flag 3D shooter found on a discarded tape eventually twists and turns becoming something else entirely. I’m a sucker for the 80s glitch aesthetic, and it’s used here in masterfully unsettling ways—multiple endings, interesting game world, very much worth your time.

Kadath $5.99 (Digital Download, Early Access)

This first chapter of a first-person cosmic-horror adventure has you following the case of a World War II Nazi train that vanished only to reappear in a cave in the Himalayas 75 years later. Dripping with atmosphere and filled with brilliant puzzles, this first chapter left me excited for Kadath and wanting more.

Fate of Cthulhu $20.00 (Downloadable PDF) $35.00 + Shipping (Book + PDF)

In this tabletop roleplaying game from Fred Hicks and Evil Hat Productions, you and your friends will find yourself sent into the past on a mission to prevent the future. It’s a race against time as you try to stop the stars from being right and prevent Cthulhu’s foretold return, all before you and yours are transformed into something monstrous.

Elder Sign Dice – Blue Aether $24.99 + Shipping

Infinite Black has been making some wonderful cosmic-horror-themed gaming products for a few years. They’ve finally gotten easy enough to nab for holiday gifts. These Blue Aether Elder Sign Dice stood out to me, but they have a robust catalog making it easy to find the right gift for the dicing Lovecraft fan in your life. (Or yourself.)

Fate of the Elder Gods $63.99 + Shipping

Cults battle cults in this race to summon your ancient order’s elder god of choice! But it’s not just the other conniving worshippers and cult leaders you need to worry about, crafty investigators are on the prowl, and they’re working to subvert everyone’s goals as well. Hasten the earth’s doom in this competitive area-control game for two to four players.

Hastur $274.99 + Shipping (Two Shipments)

I’m a big fan of the Mysterious Package Company, the quality of their products always impresses. This latest journey into the realm of Hastur is no exception. Taking place over several mailings, Hastur invites the recipient into the world of the King in Yellow, the play with the same name, and the utter madness that dwells within those words.

Not finding a game you’d enjoy? Check out the games on one of the previous guides. • 2014 Games • 2015 Games • 2016 Games • 2017 Games • 2018 Games • 2019 Games •

Housewares & Collectables

Cedric’s Eatery 11oz. Mug $16.00 + Shipping

It’s cold out, and you need a new mug. Why not pick one up from Lovat’s own Cedric’s Eatery located in the entresol between Levels Three and Four. An in-between place for in-between folks. Waldo Bell’s latest hangout. Fill your mug with 11 oz. of bad coffee, your favorite tea, or something stronger. [From the pages of the Bell Forging Cycle.]

Cthulhu Clay Idol & Letter $29.80 + Free Shipping

Alternative takes on the Cthulhu idol are rare. More often than not, we see the same shape repeated over and over. Because of that, this rawer, more original piece stood out to me. It feels more realistic in many ways, reminding me of the sort of thing one would find on an archeological dig. Plus, with the attached letter, you get a little mini-experience here.

Sea Monster Shower Curtain $32.00 + Shipping

There be dragons. And there. And there. And… well, all over the place! If you love weird old sea monsters and old maps, then this curtain will be perfect for you. Decorate your shower with this fantastic curtain featuring beasts that look lifted from early Renaissance maps. 70″ x 72″. Liner recommended.

Cthulhu Lovecraft Blanket $59.99 + Shipping

As cooler air moves into the northern hemisphere, we can all celebrate the arrival of the cozy season. To stay warm, why not cuddle up beneath this cotton and acrylic Jacquard Knit blanket featuring the squatting visage of The Great Dreamer himself? He might be cold but you don’t have to be.

Anxious Blob Original Sculpture $325.00 + Shipping (Supplies are limited.)

This weird little one-off sculpture of a nervous little entity is made with polymer clay and hand-painted. The eye sits beneath a glass dome giving this piece a unique character. Who among us hasn’t wanted an anxious blob with hundreds of teeth and a single staring eye decorating our walls?

Not finding a houseware item you like? Check out the housewares from one of the previous guides. • 2016 Housewares • 2017 Housewares • 2018 Housewares • 2019 Housewares •

Miskatonic University

Miskatonic University Pennant $15.99 + Shipping

I love seeing all the different takes for Miskatonic University collegiate gear. Here you can show your support for “Ole Misk” with a felt pennant from H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society and cheer on the “mighty Miskatonic Myrmidons” to another victory. Wave that banner proudly!

Miskatonic University Real Leather Notebook $41.40 + Shipping

Journaler? Artist? Writer? Mathematician? Norwegian sea captain? Random idea generator? If you’re one of these, odds are you need a notebook. This 8″x6″ Miskatonic-themed journal features 100 sheets of thick handmade Khadda paper and is durable enough for the dig site while still being elegant enough for the classroom.

Miskatonic University Wax Seal $48.07 + Shipping

Secure your correspondence with old friends from bygones eras who seek answers using this classic and exquisite seal. It might not stop prying eyes, but at least your old colleagues will know if someone’s been tampering with their mail. (Wax sold separately.)

Miskatonic University Hockey Sweater $109.00 + Shipping (Supplies are limited.)

Every sports fan needs a jersey. Miskatonic students are no different. It’s why when I came across this Hockey Sweater from Geeky Jerseys I knew it’d be perfect for the cosmic horror student in your life. (While this one is great, I’m hoping the superior Miskatonic 2.0 sweater becomes available once again.)

Not finding any Miskatonic University gear you like? Check out the Miskatonic University items from one of the previous guides. • 2014 Miskatonic • 2015 Miskatonic • 2016 Miskatonic • 2017 Miskatonic • • 2018 Miskatonic • 2019 Miskatonic •

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

So that wraps up the seventh annual List of Lists. Let’s all keep wearing our masks, socially distancing, and washing our hands so we can all do this again next year. Big thank you to everyone who has suggested items in the past to help me pad out this list. Y’all rule. If I didn’t get to your submission, fret not. There are many more holidays ahead. I appreciate the help.

Do you have a book, game, album, or other weird fiction-related items I should feature in 2021’s Cosmic Horror Holiday Gift Guide? Leave a comment below with links to your favorite goodies for others to see, or send me an email as a potential submission for next year!

Want to stay in touch with me? Sign up for Dead Drop, my rare and elusive newsletter. Subscribers get news, previews, and notices on my books before anyone else delivered directly to their inbox. I work hard to make sure it’s not spammy and full of interesting and relevant information. Sign Up Today→

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katierosefun · 3 years

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Go Back Couple made me cry it was so sweet and wholesome ;-;;; and it was really clever too! And I thought it said a lot about people it really made me think about how we really see only one or two sides of someone else in a relationship. I saw Hospital Playlist at the start of quarantine and I spent the whole time just being “I miss my friends!!” bc it has such beautiful friendships and platonic relationships (and cute romances too)

Also if you have more recs please share bc once this quarter finishes I really want to watch more dramas I’m collecting recs ^^

ooooh, i just read the plot of go back couple and i’m so curious, and i’ve added it to my to watch lost! and yessss, i’ve been meaning to watch hospital playlist! i think i watched the first 10 minutes of the first episode, but i never got around to continuing, but i most certainly will resume my watch once finals finish for me too :’))

oh yes, but as for more recs...well, there’s this list that i compiled a few months back, but since then, i’ve been thinking of other kdramas i’ve watched and liked, so...below the cut!

1. penthouse (1 & 2, renewed for a season 3, which will be coming in june!)

where to watch: viki (although with some kind of plus plan, but if you don’t have plus,,,here’s a place where you could theoretically watch)

favorite track on the ost: idk, i haven’t really been paying attention to the ost because like...this kdrama is also so incredibly focused on opera / classical music, and it’s actually introduced me to a lot of wonderful pieces, one of my faves being mozart’s die zauberflote.

listen: it usually takes me a hysterically long time to get through a new kdrama, but i was so invested that i got through the first season (complete with 21 episodes!)n within like,,,two or three weeks, and i have about 3 episodes left of the second season (which has 13 episodes!). this kdrama is just that good. it’s basically about these families living at this super fancy apartment complex called hera palace (which is fitting...hera, the queen of the gods, also the goddess of maternity...). honestly, there’s so much going on in this kdrama that it’s kind of hard to explain everything that happens, but essentially, the show opens up with the murder of a young orphan girl and works backwards from there. we learn about each of the families’ secrets, ambitions, and some really shocking twists and turns along the way.

honestly, i’m surprised by how much i love this kdrama. there aren’t a whole ton of likable characters--literally almost every character is deeply flawed and obvious about it, but honestly, the complexity and layers built into each character is worth it. we really see how environments shape people, especially with each of the family’s children. we see all these moralities clash with each other, and we see how greed and ambition can muddy those waters, even amongst the children. i’ve been super enjoying season 2 especially, because we’re learning even more, not to mention that i’ve been so surprised by the level of character development going on here. i won’t spoil anything, but like...it’s wonderful and impressive, and i cannot believe this kdrama has me actually rooting for certain characters. also, on another note: this kdrama does a lot with addressing exactly how far a parent would go for their kid--and it’s bonkers and wonderful. honestly...an addictive kdrama, full of suspense and drama and with deeply complex characters.

a fair warning: this kdrama is rated r, although i’m learning that rated r in south korea would probably pass off as pg-13 in the us--there’s more explicit scenes of violence, really harsh bullying, murder (of course), and implied sex scenes (nothing ever shown, very much a “camera pulls away” situation).

2. pinocchio

where to watch: viki

favorite track to the ost: pinocchio by roy kim

okay, this kdrama is...just really sweet, and again: i liked it a lot more than i thought i would? it’s a little older, like it started airing in 2014--but i just...really liked it. it’s about these two people from separate families (but they grow up together under the same roof, it’s a whole complicated thing), and both of them become reporters. the only issue is that one of the characters has pinocchio syndrome, which is basically that she can’t tell a lie without hiccupping. you’d think this makes for a goofy drama because of that, but this kdrama def. has a lot of heavyhanded/serious moments. it’s so weird to think this kdrama aired in 2014, just because i think a lot of the themes--all of them about truth and what counts as the truth especially in journalism--feel still so relevant today.

this kdrama also has a lot to say about generational trauma/the burdens we inherit from our parents and our older siblings, and it also has a lot of stuff about taking responsibility for the sins of our parents, etc. it’s so wonderfully and beautifully done, and i’m honestly...again, surprised by just how deeply they ran with this concept. the romance is also cute, although i’ll def. admit there’s some stuff that still makes me “???” but overall, i really enjoyed the actors’ chemistry with each other, and i was still satisfied with the ending!

3. fight for my way

where to watch: viki

favorite track on the ost: i don’t think this kdrama has too much of an ost? and i don’t think i was paying attention to the ost in this kdrama either, oops

i’m still watching this kdrama / have i think 5 episodes left of this kdrama, but i’ve been really enjoying it so far! it’s following the story of these four twentysomethings, and they all have these big dreams for themselves. unfortunately, they’re also twentysomethings, and achieving their dreams is...kind of hard. honestly, this kdrama is just so wholesome, and it has its serious moments, but i really love it. the friendships in this kdrama are solid, and the romance is super sweet, and it’s very much so the classic childhood friends to lovers that just makes me :’))

also, just like...it’s hopeful. and empowering. and just like, seeing characters go “i know this is hard for me to achieve and i know it would make so much more sense for me to just sit down with my head low and quietly accept where i am, but i’m going to pursue my dream anyways” just...idk, i feel like it’s a kdrama that a lot of young dreamers can relate to, and i really need to finish this kdrama, but it’s...really sweet and relatable.

4. space sweepers

where to watch: netflix

okay, so this isn’t a kdrama, but i need to rec this movie because it’s...so good. this is a science fiction film following this crew of...space sweepers. basically, earth is now uninhabitable/unsafe to live in, and the wealthy are all living on a repurposed mars. (bro doesn’t that sound familiar?)

in order to get money, a lot of people risk their lives by cleaning up debris still floating around orbit. these people are known as space sweepers, and they’re basically space janitors, only with a lot more flying and swearing. this crew winds up accidentally getting ahold of this mysterious child, who may or may not have a huge bounty on her head. i won’t go any deeper than that, but...this movie is so wonderful for its found family elements, and each character has such an interesting background, and i’m honestly surprised by how this movie went so deep into each character in such a short amount of time? (although honestly i would 1000/10 want a netflix series following each character’s lives just because)

admittedly, there’s some issues i have with this movie--like, idk, one character wears dreadlocks, and i’m just :/// about that, because :///// it really shows that south korea isn’t exempt from cultural appropriation. i still like the character, and i still like the movie overall, but that’s just a heads-up.

but besides that, this movie is really good at showing how sometimes the villain is just a wealthy old white dude, and sometimes family can really just be a ragtag team of outcasts, and sometimes it is really the younger generation that can literally bring hope and etc. it’s very much :’))

and that’s all i’ve got! thank u for asking me about kdramas, because...as you can tell: many thoughts.

#answered #i have....so many kdramas to watch too #like hospital playlist and king eternal monarch are def. kdramas i need to resume watching #and i've also....steadily been making my way through romance is a bonus book although i still don't really know how to feel about it #it's cute but i don't have too many thoughts/enough thoughts on it #i've just been watching a lot of lee jong suk's kdramas let's be real #i've also been meaning to watch what's wrong with secretary kim? because i remember liking it but i've only watched the first 3 eps #so i wasn't sure whether to rec it #tbh check back on me in a few months and i'll def. have more kdramas to rec asdfsfasdf #i now have the yearly viki plus plan and as you can tell: i am using it

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